Introduction

The economies of Latin America have presented fascinating challenges for development economists. At times, these economies appeared to be textbook case studies of successful development experiences; at other times, they almost defied interpretation. In this volume, a sample of some of these challenges is presented; the contributions range from broad concerns with development to more familiar themes of the role of agriculture and income inequality, as well as to more recent concerns with investment in human capital, regional problems (within countries), and the important role that external institutions have played and continued to play in the continent. While some of the analyses examine all of Latin America, most are focused on one country and in particular on Brazil. Werner Baer is one of the world’s leading authorities on the economy of the Latin American giant, and thus it should not be surprising that many of the contributions in this volume reflect this particular interest.