The South American Lions

The South American Lions (Also referred as the four South American Lions) are the economies of Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. Between the early 1950s and 1980s, they underwent rapid industrialization and maintained constant growth rates of more than 4 percent a year. These countries had gone through economic recessions at some point between the 1890s and 1940s. Argentina and Brazil saw a shortage in their agricultural exports, Peru got out of a devastating civil war, and Venezuela returned to democracy in 1958 after a decade dictatorship.

It is to notice these countries achieved high economic growth and industrialization through very different economic policies. Argentina industrialized with the implementation of proteccionist policies, Brazil and Venezuela accomplished this economic boom through neoliberal policies and holding close relations with the United States, and Peru industrialized through mutualism, five-year plans and a interventionist foreign policy.