The first problem is to work out who lent or invested money in Latin America, where, when and why. Which countries and economic sectors were favoured, and why, by (a) Europeans and (b) North Americans? What were the problems caused by the cyclical nature of investment and how did Latin American countries deal with them? Was it better to attract direct investment (foreign companies) or portfolio investment (foreign loans to government)? Overall, was foreign investment positive for Latin America or were there serious disadvantages arising from it?
L. Davis & R.A. Huttenback, `The Export of British Finance, 1865-1914', Jnl. Imperial & Commonwealth Hist. 13 (1985), 28-76
P.W. Drake (ed.), Money Doctors, Foreign Debts, and Economic Reforms in Latin America, chaps. 4,5,6
R. Liehr (ed.), La deuda pública en América Latina: una perspectiva histórica [some of the papers in this volume are in English]
R. Miller, Britain and Latin America in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, esp. chap. 6
J.A. Frieden, `The Economics of Intervention: American overseas investments and relations with underdeveloped areas, 1890-1950', CSSH 31 (1989), 55-80
M. Wilkins, The Origins of Multinational Enterprise and The Making of Multinational Enterprise
I.L.D. Forbes, `German Informal Imperialism in Latin America before 1914', EcHR 31 (1978), 384-398
G.F.W. Young, `German Banking and German Imperialism in Latin America in the Wilhelmine Era', Ibero-Amerikanisches Archiv 18 (1992), 31-66
*C. Marichal, A Century of Debt Crises in Latin America: from independence to the great depression, 1820-1930
D. Felix, `Alternative Outcomes of the Latin American Debt Crisis: lessons from the past', LARR 22:2 (1987), 3-46
*A. Fishlow, `Lessons from the Past: capital markets during the 19th century and the inter-war period', International Organization 39 (1985), 383-429 [offprint in SJSL #15682]
A.G. Ford, `British Investment in Argentina and Long Swings, 1880-1914', Jnl. Econ. Hist. 31 (1971), 650-663
H. Ferns, `The Baring Crisis Revisited', JLAS 24 (1992), 241-276
C. Suter & H.P. Stramon, `Coping with Global Debt Crises: debt settlements, 1820-1986', CSSH 34 (1992), 645-678
B. Stallings, Banker to the Third World: US portfolio investment and Latin America, 1900-1986
C.A. Jones, `"Business Imperialism" and Argentina: a theoretical note', JLAS 12 (1980), 437-444
A. Thompson, `Informal Empire? An exploration in the history of Anglo-Argentine relations', JLAS 24 (1992), 419-436
A.G. Hopkins, `Informal Empire in Argentina: an alternative view', JLAS 26 (1994), 469-484
C. Abel & C.M. Lewis (eds.), Latin America, Economic Imperialism and the State, esp. chaps by Jones on the state, Lewis on railways, Albert on Peru, *Finch on utilities
D.C.M. Platt (ed.), Business Imperialism
P. Winn, `Britain's Informal Empire in Uruguay during the Nineteenth Century', PP 73 (1976), 100-126