The Economic History of Latin America since Independence tells the story of promise unfulfilled. Despite the regions abundance of natural resources and a favorable ratio of land to labor, not a single republic of Latin America has achieved theMoreThe Economic History of Latin America since Independence tells the story of promise unfulfilled.
Despite the regions abundance of natural resources and a favorable ratio of land to labor, not a single republic of Latin America has achieved the status of a developed country after nearly two centuries free of colonial rule. If anything, the gap between living standards in Latin America and those of developed countries has steadily widened since the early nineteenth century. Burdened with the legacy of colonialism and its unequal distribution of resources, Latin America is still a peripheral region in which external influences remain preeminent.