Resumen

FERRER, María Alejandra. Direct Spanish Foreign Investment: Latin American and the Caribbean, 1996-2005. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.41, pp.146-158. ISSN 1315-9984.

Currently, Spain is in the fourth stage of the so-called Investment Development Path theory, thanks to the internationalization process based on direct foreign investment (DFI). Based on statistics from the Foreign Investments Registry of the Spanish Foreign Investments Secretary General, this paper describes the behavior of net Spanish foreign investment. In particular, it analyzes changes experienced in the flow of investments to Latin American and the Caribbean from 1996 to 2005. Results of this descriptive research show a decrease in investments beginning in 2000, when they were redirected toward member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This was a consequence of instability in the region and the international economic cooperation agreements in which Spain participates.

Palabras clave : Internationalization; direct foreign investment; Spain; Latin America and the Caribbean.