Abstract
The author examines economic reforms carried out in Latin America since the 1990s. Price stabilization was achieved, but there has been insufficient growth and economic instability has been detrimental to productive investment and employment. Frequent crises have had a serious recessionary effect and have discouraged capital formation and the creation of decent jobs. Financial capital flows were the chief cause of this general economic situation. A positive recovery in 2010 resumed the climb towards progress begun in the 2004–08 period, but was accompanied by high levels of precarious employment and serious deficiencies in macroeconomic policy.