The economy in the Latin American and Caribbean region grew by ______ last year.

A new United Nations report is predicting economic growth in Latin America this year will be slower than anticipated. The U. N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean released a survey Tuesday projecting three percent growth in the region. In February, the commission forecast a growth rate of three-point-eight percent. The regional economy grew by four percent last year.
     Economists with the U. N. committee, based in Santiago, Chile, say the slowing U. S. economy is the primary factor in Latin America’s economic slowdown.
     The committee says a decline in direct foreign investment also played a part in the revised economic forecast. The U. N. agency is forecasting a good year for Brazil -- which has Latin America’s largest economy. The commission predicts the Brazilian economy will expand by four percent this year. The Dominican Republic and Chile also get high marks. The U. N. office says Colombian, Ecuador and Venezuela will continue a steady recovery from economic instability.