The role of capital movements in Latin American balance of payments in 1990-2019

ABSTRACT We studied the balance of payments data for a set of Latin American countries between 1990 and 2019. We intended to quantify the main items of foreign exchange income and expenditure. We were particularly interested in studying the magnitude and role of financial flows, either as a source of external resources or as an item of expenditure. The analysis was carried out in two dimensions: cross section (for a sample of 11 nations) for the entire period and over time for the three decades covered by the data. This study offers an empirical basis to reassess the traditional view that places an “external constraint” on growth in the foreign trade. In contrast, the data analyzed here suggest that items related to financial flows are the main responsible for external vulnerability of these countries.