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Latin American Per Capita GDP in Colonial Times

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Latin American Per Capita GDP in Colonial Times Growth under Extractive Institutions? Latin American Per Capita GDP in Colonial Times LETICIA ARROYO ABAD AND JAN LUITEN VAN ZANDEN This article presents new estimations of per capita GDP in colonial times for the WZRSLOODUVRIWKH6SDQLVKHPSLUH0H[LFRDQG3HUX:H¿QGG\QDPLFHFRQRPLHV DV HYLGHQFHG E\ LQFUHDVLQJ UHDO ZDJHV XUEDQL]DWLRQ DQG VLOYHU PLQLQJ 7KHLU JURZWK WUDMHFWRULHV DUH VXFK WKDW ERWK UHJLRQV UHGXFHG WKH JDSZLWK UHVSHFW WR 6SDLQ 0H[LFR HYHQ DFKLHYHG SDULW\ DW WLPHV :KLOH H[SHULHQFLQJ VZLQJV LQ JURZWKWKHQRWDEOHWXUQLQJSRLQWLVLQVDVERWWOHQHFNVLQSURGXFWLRQDQG ODWHUWKHLQGHSHQGHQFHZDUVUHGXFHGHFRQRPLFDFWLYLW\2XUUHVXOWVTXHVWLRQWKH notion that colonial institutions impoverished Latin America. 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