ABSTRACT
Without doubt the countries of Latin America are varied and diverse. This chapter will deal primarily with the most developed countries of the region. As industrial relations are focused on the interactions of labor, political and economic actors, we will outline the historical evolution of the region and the different countries to contextualize later debates on industrial relations (IR) in current times. A significant theme in this regard is that, in the last quarter of the twentieth century, the countries of the region abandoned the economic model based on import substitution, which had traditionally characterized the region, and adopted more open and neo-liberal economic policies. This has had a significant impact on the IR landscape. Indeed, industrial relations have experienced very signifiant evolution since this change in economic policy. Although within Latin America there is a great diversity of economic and political development as well as variety in its socio-cultural traditions, there are recognizable common elements due to their common colonial history.
