WASHINGTON, CMC - As the Caribbean reels from the global economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that growth will “strengthen gradually” this year. In an update to its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the Washington-based financial institution said the constraints on economic activity will start to ease this year. The IMF projected a 3.6 per cent growth in Latin America and the Caribbean this year, compared to three per cent last year.