The Economic Development of Latin America since Independence

Latin America is attracting increasing interest due to the strong economic performance of the last decade and to the political changes that are taking place. This book gives a unique, comprehensive, and up to date view of Latin America economic development over the two centuries since Independence. It considers Latin American economies within the wider context of the international economy, and covers economic growth, international trade, capital flows, and trends in inequality and human development. With chapters that cover different eras, it traces the major developments of Latin American countries and offers a novel and coherent interpretation of the economic history of the region. It combines a wealth of original research, new perspectives, and empirical information to provide a synthesis of the growing literature that both complements and extends previous studies.

Luis Bertola is Visiting Professor at Gothenburg University and Editor of the Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History Review, and the Montevideo-Oxford Latin American Economic History Database. He is a member of the bureau of the International Economic History Association.

Jose Antonio Ocampo is former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Economic and Social Affairs, former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and former Minister of Finance, Agriculture, and Planning of Colombia.