"Technical papers that assess the current state of mining in parts of Latin America, and propose a framework for growth in the mineral sector. Specific coverage for four country groups: Mexico/Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia/Peru, and Argentina/Ecuador/Panama"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.

UN publication sales no. E.85.II.G.5. Dated March 1989

The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic expansion and intensification of mineral resource exploitation and development across the global south, especially in Latin America. This shift has brought mining more visibly into global public debates and spurred a great deal of controversy and conflict. This volume assembles new scholarship that provides critical perspectives on these issues. The book marshals original, empirical work from leading social scientists in a variety of disciplines to address a range of questions about the practices of mining companies on the ground, the impacts of mining on host communities, and the responses to mining from communities, civil society and states. The book further explores the global and international causes, consequences and innovations of this new era of mining activity in Latin America. Key issues include the role of Canadian mining companies and their investment in the region, and, to a lesser extent, the role of Chinese mining capital. Several chapters take a regional perspective, while others are based on empirical data from specific countries including Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru.

"The question of how to treat commodity production and how to manage recurrent cycles of booms and busts has always been a challenge for policymakers in commodity-dependent countries, including many in the LAC region. These challenges have led to allegations of a "commodity curse'' that retards development in these countries, but as of yet, there is no consensus as to whether such a curse exists, and if so, how can negative effects be minimized. This book contributes to this debate. Much of the report is focused on an examination of specific channels through which commodity dependence may affect the economic and institutional development of countries. This includes broadly 4 sets of concerns: one set dealing with the direct economic effects of commodity dependence and the implications for long-term growth; one dealing with the interactions between commodity production and the rents it generates on the one hand, and a country's institutions on the other; a third dealing with the macroeconomic challenges of managing the volatility of revenue flows, including the distributional implications at the household level posed by cyclicality of social spending; and a final set associated with potential negative environmental and social impacts. The book finds that some commonly accepted negative effects of dependence on natural resources are largely myths, while some are realities. But all can be managed, and the book draws on the best available information in existing literature as well as original analysis to provide practical advice on how to do so. It also presents descriptive facts and analysis of the impacts in LAC of the recent commodity boom, helping the reader understand the implications for the region's development and policies. It should be of great interest to policy-makers and analysts, as well as laypersons interested in the economics of commodity markets and their role in economic development."

Large Mines and the Community: Socioeconomic and environmental effects in Latin America, Canada and Spain

This book deepens the analysis of the FDI-Environment relationship by concentrating on the mining sector and identifying best practices.

Mineral resources, mining, Latin America, statistical tables and statistical analysis - trends, industrial production, industrial policy, employment of miners, etc. Maps, photographs.

This report analyzes the factors that have determined the flow of investments in mining operations in Latin America. It also evaluates the extent of such investments in the 1990s. This publication consists of six sections. The first section examines investment flows into the mining sector in the light of changes in the composition of external financing in the 1990s. The second and third sections catalogue the main changes noted in the treatment of foreign direct investment and in the mining legislation of countries in the region. The fourth section contains a review of changes in trade and tax regimes and a comparison of the impact of taxation on investment decisions. The fifth section looks at the policies adopted by countries in the region, which created a favorable environment for foreign investment. The sixth and final section covers the variation in projected exploration costs of mining operators, the effective value of actual investments and the investment projections at the start of the new millennium.