detonar la actividad económica

English translation: to boost/kick-start/trigger the economic activity

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:detonar la actividad económica
English translation:to boost/kick-start/trigger the economic activity
Entered by: María Teresa Taylor Oliver

21:14 Mar 18, 2020
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Economics
Spanish term or phrase: detonar la actividad económica
Hello! I'm translating the following opinion article, critical of Mexican President Lopez Obrador and the way he is handling (or rather not handling) the COVID-19 emergency and the consequences it will have on the country's economy: https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/opinion/jonathan-ruiz/el-pre...

There's a phrase I don't quite understand: "detonar la actividad económica." What does the columnist mean by "detonar" here?

Here's the context. The phrase is in the last paragraph, between asterisks. Thanks so much in advance!

"Estos son los riesgos que expuso y sobre los que conversamos:

Uno. El flujo de pasajeros internacionales hacia México sigue libre, lo que implica que el país puede importar más casos de Covid-19. En este continente, Canadá, Estados Unidos, Argentina y Bolivia, entre otros, ya restringen de alguna forma la llegada de visitantes. En África sucede lo mismo con Ghana, Marruecos y Kenia. Europa planea cerrar todos sus accesos. A decir de los datos disponibles, la llegada del virus a México continuará creciendo, a diferencia de lo que puede ocurrir en otras naciones.

Dos. Hoy todos quienes en este país tienen deudas o proveedores a los que pagan en dólares, necesitan más pesos para cumplir con un tipo de cambio a 23. Vienen mayores costos para empresas privadas y para Pemex. Indudablemente también para el Gobierno, que paga intereses en moneda extranjera. Si las remesas caen por la baja en la economía estadounidense, como seguramente bajarán las exportaciones, habrá que ver de dónde sacan los mexicanos dólares ahora que también el petróleo cayó por debajo de 20.

Tres. **************Detonar la actividad económica************* podría reducir el periodo de esta contingencia. Pero el Gobierno, en voz del subsecretario de Hacienda Gabriel Yorio, esperará a abril para actuar. "
María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Panama
Local time: 12:12
boosting economic activity
Explanation:
From the context (pending ministerial action) I think this is what might be meant.
Selected response from:

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 14:12
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7boosting economic activity
patinba
3 +2triggering economic activity
Marie Wilson
5“TRIGGER economic activity”
Thaïs Tarragó van Wijk
4 +1kick-start the economy
philgoddard
4Encouraging/Promoting economic activity
Wilsonn Perez Reyes
4jump-start the economy
Corinne Rubin


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
boosting economic activity


Explanation:
From the context (pending ministerial action) I think this is what might be meant.

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 14:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 178
Grading comment
Thanks, everyone!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard
2 hrs
  -> Thank you!// I think your comment on "triggering" is exactly right.

agree  Seth Phillips: I think "stimulating economic activity" could be another good option
2 hrs
  -> Yes. Thanks!

agree  Juan Jacob: To boost, lo primero que pensé.
2 hrs
  -> Gracias Juan!

agree  Muriel Vasconcellos
3 hrs
  -> Thank you!

agree  James A. Walsh
14 hrs
  -> Thank you!

agree  Giovanni Rengifo: On second thought, those kinds of measures could be considered a "boost". I was thinking they wanted to make the economy to grow, but they just want to keep it from collapsing.
19 hrs
  -> By cutting interest rates for example, like every other government is doing?

agree  Luis M. Sosa: Yes, boosting is used a lot.
19 hrs
  -> Gracias, Luis!
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
triggering economic activity


Explanation:
One possibility:
"Triggering economic activity could reduce ..."

Su construcción tiene el propósito de incrementar la infraestructura aeroportuaria en el país y detonar la actividad económica en la región sureste.
Its construction is intended to increase the airport infrastructure in the country and trigger economic activity in the Southeast.
https://tulumrealestate.wordpress.com/aeropuerto-de-tulum/

Example sentence(s):
  • One key element to ensure long-term success in addressing these challenges is to use environmental and community initiatives to trigger economic activity.
  • The measure is meant to trigger economic activity by stimulating investment in new and desirable commercial development.
Marie Wilson
Spain
Local time: 18:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lydia De Jorge
33 mins
  -> Thanks, Lydia!

neutral  philgoddard: I think boost is better, because there is already some activity but they want more.
2 hrs

agree  Wendy Streitparth: https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=z1RzXtzkDNGAi-gHow do you stimulate economic activity? An economic stimulus is the use of monetary or fiscal policy changes to kickstart growth during a recession. Governments can accomplish this by using tactics..
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Wendy :-)
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Encouraging/Promoting economic activity


Explanation:
Extraño uso de "detonar" parece ser un mexicanismo.
------

“Desafortunadamente la zona sur es la más marginada de la entidad, por lo que de encabezar la gubernatura detonaré en 6 años el desarrollo del polo económico”, reiteró.

Adelantó que será el próximo 11, 12 y 14 de mayo, los días que realizará su gira de campaña por los municipios de la zona sur, llevando sus propuestas con el fin de detonar la actividad económica y llegar a un nuevo rumbo.

http://mvt.com.mx/va-prd-por-100-mil-votos-de-la-zona-sur/


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2020-03-18 21:38:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Detonar la actividad económica = fomentar/alentar/estimular la actividad económica

Es un "mexicanismo", con perdón de los mexicanos.

Wilsonn Perez Reyes
El Salvador
Local time: 11:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: ¡Gracias, Wilsonn! Definitivamente eso fue lo que hizo dudar. Ese extraño uso del verbo.

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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
“TRIGGER economic activity”


Explanation:
Explanation

Thaïs Tarragó van Wijk
Spain
Local time: 18:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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21 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
kick-start the economy


Explanation:
I agree with "boost", but it's a slightly colorless rendition of "detonar". If you want a slightly more violent metaphor, this may fit the bill.

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Robert Carter: Clichéd perhaps, but I still prefer it to "boost". Or is it perhaps a meme now? I'd lose the hyphen for the US.
11 hrs
  -> Thanks. The hyphen was predictive text that I didn't notice, and I disagree with it.
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3 days 19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
jump-start the economy


Explanation:
example from two days ago in Washington Post article, on response to coronavirus "...cash payments were used to jump-start the economy..."

Corinne Rubin
Switzerland
Local time: 18:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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