Photo by Donald Giannatti 

According to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2021, FDI in Latin America has dropped by 45% in 2020 to US$88bn. According to UNCTAD’s Director of Investment and Enterprise, “Latin American economies faced a collapse in export demand, falling commodity prices, and the disappearance of tourism, leading to one of the worst contractions in economic activity across the world.” In 

Central America, FDI declined by 24% to US$33bn, with Costa Rica and Panama suffering among the worst losses. The curtailment of Costa Rica’s planned special economic zones led to the country’s FDI dipping from US$2.7bn to $1.7bn, while, in Panama, FDI plunged by 86% to less than US$1bn. 

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