ABSTRACT
Universities in Latin America were established either by the State, in the case of many universities set up under the authority of the Kings of Spain, or by the Catholic Church, but in all cases they were recognised as public institutions, with a signifi cant degree of autonomy. Th e term Latin America refers to countries in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, that respond to Spanish or Portuguese roots. Th erefore, it excludes the non-Spanish speaking countries in Central America and the Caribbean and the Guyanas in South America.
