ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the factors that triggered the large amounts of Spanish direct investment in Latin America in the 1990s. It provides figures referring to Puerto Rico when Spanish firms include their subsidiaries in this island as part of their Latin American organization. The book also provides a historical approach to Spanish direct investment from colonial times. It reveals the developments in the 1990s within Latin American countries that made their economies appealing to foreign investors, especially to Spanish investors. The book explores the role that foreign direct investment played in the development strategies of these nations in the post-World War II period. It analyzes the alliances created by Spanish multinationals from various areas of economic activity to cooperate in their Latin American ventures. The book explains why Spanish firms decided to invest large amounts of money in Latin America in the 1990s.
