Reviewing Latin American railway historiography: New trends and research avenues

Abstract

Latin-American railways have not general-comparative historical studies, although more recent publications generated valuable contributions to knowledge. The content and approach of the latest research resonate better into the international historiographical debates, incorporating perspectives that go beyond the national bias of previous works, avowing the previous stress on the region backwardness and economic inequalities. They also incorporate research about social, labor, and cultural-heritage topics, and about the necessity of resizing of the state role, and estimates on its direct contribution to growth. This article reviews such last new studies—except regarding cultural-heritage, because due to its scope the issue would precede a particular analysis—stating how these investigations can growth further.