New Books in Economics Victoria Basualdo et al., "Big Business and Dictatorships in Latin America: A Transnational History of Profits and Repression" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020)
Aug 27, 2025
Join Victoria Basualdo, a researcher at the Argentine National Scientific Council, and Marcelo Bucheli, a professor at the University of Illinois, as they delve into the intricate ties between big business and dictatorial regimes in Latin America during the Cold War. They discuss how multinational corporations like Ford and Volkswagen not only profited from oppressive environments but supported authoritarianism for their interests. The conversation uncovers the historical complexities of corporate power, labor relations, and the ideological shifts shaping economic policies across the region.
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Business As A Central Political Actor
- Business was a central actor supporting Latin American dictatorships through funding, personnel, and policy influence.
- The book emphasizes varied national trajectories and the need for case-by-case historical study.
A Wide Spectrum Of Corporate Roles
- Support from corporations varied from legal loans to directly enabling repression, depending on firm and country.
- Non-US firms (German, Canadian) played salient and sometimes culpable roles beyond American influence.
Detention Inside A Ford Plant
- Ford in Argentina collaborated closely with the dictatorship, including using company premises to detain workers.
- Workers were held in the Pacheco plant and company resources assisted repression, later addressed in trials.
