ABSTRACT
Introductory considerations: mutual perceptions With the turn of the century, in the context of political upheavals, a climate of economic crisis, most especially in sectors recently privatized where foreign investment is heavy, the image of Spain in Latin America (more specifically in Argentina) has become a matter of concern for Spanish government officials, businesspeople, media, and public at large. While the general image of Spain as whole can be termed as positive (about 60% of Latin Americans consider it good), the role of Spanish investment received a mixed reaction: about a third think its has benefited Latin American economies, more than a third labeled negatively, and about 25% has no opinion.1 However, the high visibility of Spanish investment in sectors of greater social impact, have caused a notable deterioration in the public perception of the European country that is closer to the human fabric of Latin America. Although the injuries are not terminal or fatal, the future, permanent consequences still remain unknown (Ceccine and Zicolillo, 2002; Petroselli, 2001; Diario 16, 2001). On the other side of the equation, the perception of Latin America (specifically, Argentina) in Spain (and in Europe, in general) has deteriorated, confirming a negative trend of a chronic outlook in the last quarter of the preceding century, softened only by brief periods of hope (Abellán, 2001; A.M.A./C.R.G., 2001; Patten, Lamy and Solbes, 2002; Rebosio, 2002; Yárnoz, 2002). This cloudy perception of Latin America will not help alleviate the difficulties associated with Spain’s economic and political activities.
