The Impact of the Great Depression in Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract This investigation started with an inquiry: did the Great Depression impact Latin America similarly? Does the case of Ecuador represent a point of dissimilarity? Ecuador does represent an atypical case in the region. The data presented in this study shows that the impact of the Great Depression in Latin America was uneven: while the region declined sharply from 1929 to 1932, and since 1933 it registers signs of accelerated growth, Ecuador remained stagnant throughout the decade studied. However, the development of some macroeconomic data are similar in the entire region because of the close commercial links with the United States of America. The evolution of foreign trade and public finances were similar: a profound reduction until 1932-1933, and then a quick recovery. Finally, the Great Depression represents a break point in Latin American: the growth of the region passes from depending on the external trade to a development that focused on the ingrowth.