Bachelorarbeit aus dem Jahr 2007 im Fachbereich VWL - Fallstudien, Länderstudien, Note: 1,0, Europa-Universität Flensburg (ehem. Universität Flensburg), 73 Quellen im Literaturverzeichnis, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: AbstractThis paper examines the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in promoting economic growth in Latin America. The results suggest that the impact of FDI on growth can be manifold and depends on the absorptive capacity of the host country. Using Venezuela and Chile as case studies, it is tested if the current nationalizations in Latin America may have a more growth-enhancing effect than FDI. It is shown that nationalizations are often accompanied by high costs expressed as productivity losses or punishment from the international community. The final consequences of nationalizations on economic growth depend on the purpose the additional public revenues are spend for. The coexistence of public and private enterprises seems to prove as a reasonable option for capturing the benefits and minimizing the costs of nationalizations.Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Economic growth; Nationalization; Latin America; Natural resources