Latin America And The Caribbean Research Articles

How sport changed my life? Description of the perceived effects of the experiences of young Colombians throughout a sport for development and peace program.

This study contributes to the advancement of the field of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) research in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). There are still few studies on SDP programs in this region and it is important to document and understand the impacts of these programs on participants. The present study is the result of a collaborative research that aims to describe the experiences and perceptions of Colombian youth and program managers who participated in an SDP program that took them from a local community sports club to the Olympic Games. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with key actors (administrators, coaches, and athletes) who participated in a triple and transversal (local, district and national) Olympic walking training program. The results provided a better understanding of the program dynamics in the local, regional, and national level, as well as of the short- and long-term effects perceived by the actors of the process on their development, education, health, and career. Recommendations are made for SDP organizations in LAC. Future studies should continue to investigate the SDP initiative in LAC to understand how sport can help development and peace building in this region.

International Research Experiences and Global Competency Development for Graduate Students in Engineering and Science

Challenges from globalization, population growth, and climate change require science, technology, and engineering (STEM) professionals to have global competency. However, the impact of international experiences on STEM students’ development of these abilities has not been well studied. We assessed the effects of international research experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Europe on the development of global competency for STEM graduate students from the United States. Research placements in LAC were generally field-based, involving interactions with community members, while placements in Europe were mostly lab-based. Surveys and interviews with participants before and after their trips revealed increases in intercultural abilities for students from all groups. Students who traveled to LAC had higher intercultural abilities before the trip but experienced smaller gains than their counterparts who traveled to Europe. Despite the value in community-based activities for students outside of university settings, more effort is needed to eliminate students’ barriers to understanding communication styles in their host communities.

Prevalence and incidence of stroke in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Stroke is a recurrent and well-known cardiovascular event and a leading cause of death worldwide. We identified reliable epidemiological evidence of stroke in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and estimated the prevalence and incidence of stroke, overall and by sex, in that region. A systematic search in OVID (Medline, Embase and Global Health) and in the Latin America and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) until the end of 2020 was made for all cross-sectional or longitudinal studies estimating (or allowing the estimation of) the prevalence or incidence of stroke among individuals of the general population ≥ 18 years from LAC countries. No language restriction was applied. Studies were assessed for methodological quality and risk of bias. Pooled estimates were calculated using random effect meta-analysis as high heterogeneity was expected. A total of 31 papers for prevalence and 11 papers for incidence were included in the review for analysis. The overall pooled stroke prevalence was 32 (95% CI 26–38) per 1000 subjects and were similar among men (21; 95% CI 17–25) and women (20; 95% CI 16–23) per 1000 subjects. The overall pooled stroke incidence was 255 (95% CI 217–293) per 100 000 person-years, being higher in men (261; 95% CI 221–301) compared to women (217; 95% CI 184–250) per 100 000 person-years. Our results highlight the relevance of the prevalence and incidence of stroke in the LAC region. The estimates were similar in stroke prevalence by sex, but with higher incidence rates among males than females. Subgroup analyses highlight the need for standardized methodologies to obtain appropriate prevalence and incidence estimates at the population level in a region with a great burden of cardiovascular events.

The Neglected Role of Domestic Migration on Family Patterns in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1950-2000.

Urbanization has played a key role in shaping twentieth-century demographic changes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LACar). As a result, scholarly research on domestic migration and the family has primarily focused on fertility differentials by migration status in urban areas, finding a robust negative correlation between internal migration and fertility. This research has overlooked how this relationship varies across types of migration flows other than rural-to-urban migration and by women's age at migration and social class. Additionally, not enough attention has been paid to the family formation and dissolution trajectories underlying the lower fertility of rural migrants. I use a life-course inductive approach to examine these overlooked aspects among women from 10 LACar countries, including the three largest countries by population. Using retrospective information on women's childbearing and marital histories from the Demographic and Health Surveys, I build an eight-category typology of family paths and study the conditional distribution of this typology by women's age at migration, educational attainment, and origin/destination area. This examination demonstrates that social class is the primary source of differentiation across family formation and dissolution trajectories and that low-class young rural migrants played a crucial role in the demographic transformations that occurred in the region.

Access to health care in patients with epilepsy in Latin America (P4-8.014)

<h3>Objective:</h3> Our objective was to assess the access to epilepsy care in LAC. <h3>Background:</h3> The lifelong prevalence of epilepsy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) stands at an average of 17.8 per 1,000 inhabitants. The treatment gap is greater than 50%, thus more than half are not receiving any type of care. Thus, there is growing concern about the access to health services for epilepsy patients. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> We conducted a cross-sectional survey regarding access to resources, programs and services related to the care of people with epilepsy in LAC. Neurologists and epilepsy specialists were surveyed either by mail or in-person during the XII Latin American Epilepsy Congress in Medellin, Colombia from October 1st to 4th, 2022. <h3>Results:</h3> 98 of 101 physicians answered our survey in person. Information was obtained from 17 countries in LAC, 37,8% epilepsy specialists and 62.2% neurologists. 85% of physicians reported issues accessing education and work for people with epilepsy. 62.1% countries had prenatal care programs. 78% of physicians reported a high cost of care as the main access barrier. EEG was available in 94.5% countries and CT scan in 82.7%. There were 40 epilepsy surgery programs in 10 of the 17 countries surveyed. 54% countries did not have legislation related to access to epilepsy surgery and 85.6% physicians reported there is no information available regarding this treatment. Epilepsy fellowship programs were reported available in 8 of the 17 countries. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> There is a low prevalence of educational and work opportunities for patients with epilepsy in LAC. Government support is weak, as evidenced by a low prevalence of preventive measures for epilepsy. Most countries have access to neurologists and diagnostic equipment, yet with high cost of ASM. There is a need for improved access in the treatment, evaluation, and education of epilepsy in LAC. <b>Disclosure:</b> Ms. Villegas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lemus Esquivel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mayor has nothing to disclose. Paula Martinez has nothing to disclose.

Assessing sustainable development goals attainment through energy-environmental efficiency: The case of Latin American and Caribbean countries

This study evaluates the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs) using energy-environmental efficiency as a principal driver. Hicks-Moorsteen Index, based on optimal targets,is utilized to estimate the performance of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries towards SDGs. Performance is decomposed into catch-up efficiency and technological progress. Results show that, compared to 2012, only 15% of the countries evaluated exhibit improved catch-up efficiency in 2020, while 74% of the countries evaluated showed technological progress in 2020 compared to 2012. Improvement in SDGs attainment in LAC results from technological advancement and not catch-up efficiency. Gross catch-up inefficiency appears to obstruct SDGs attainment. The regression elaborates the indirect extrinsic socio-economic dimension of the SDGs accomplishment. Specifically, the results of the fully modified ordinary least squares and generalized method of moments for the examined years support the desired prospects for green productivity among the cross-section of LAC. Moreover, in each of the upper years, the result suggests that environmental performance and renewable energy-induced economic progress are vital for the examined countries' sustainable green productivity. Notably, the result predicts a slow but progressive path toward achieving the SDGs, suggesting more intentional and inclusive effort by the respective economies.

Income and price elasticity of residential electricity demand in Latin America and the Caribbean: a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the income and price elasticities of demand for residential electricity in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and to verify their main determinants.Design/methodology/approachMeta-analysis and meta-regression methods were applied. After collecting and filtering journal articles, the authors obtained a sample composed of 76 studies covering 1979–2020.FindingsThe results show that the LAC's income elasticity is approximately 0.20 and 0.92 for the short and long term, respectively. The LAC's price elasticity is approximately −0.37 and −0.46 for the short and long term, respectively. Furthermore, the estimates are affected by the data structure, the estimation method used and the sampling period.Originality/valueThe authors close a gap in the literature by analyzing the price and income elasticities of demand through meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Trade and Climate Mitigation Interactions Create Agro‐Economic Opportunities With Social and Environmental Trade‐Offs in Latin America and the Caribbean

AbstractThe Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region plays key roles in both meeting global agricultural demands and maintaining carbon sinks due to its abundant land and water resources. In this study we use the Global Change Analysis Model to evaluate the opportunities and challenges posed by two global‐scale drivers: agricultural market integration (i.e., reduction of trade barriers) and land‐based climate mitigation policy. We evaluate their potential individual and combined impacts on agricultural production and trade revenues across LAC's economies through mid‐century, as well as the resulting impacts on agricultural consumers and integrated land‐water‐climate systems across LAC's diverse sub‐regions. Increased global market integration results in increased agricultural production and trade revenues for many LAC economies, driven by their evolving comparative advantages. Climate mitigation measures on CO2 and non‐CO2 greenhouse gases increase revenues due to increased agricultural prices from land competition and emissions abatement. The combined outcomes from both drivers are complex and sometimes non‐linear, highlighting the importance of understanding the interactions between multiple drivers. Our results show that increased agricultural production and trade opportunities, from either of the two drivers, pose significant trade‐offs that require careful multi‐sectoral planning, such as emissions reduction challenges, potential loss of livestock production when pursuing land‐based climate mitigation strategies, increased consumer expenditures, and changes in land‐use or water withdrawals, resulting in deforestation or water scarcity pressures. There is considerable heterogeneity in economic and environmental outcomes across LAC sub‐regions and agricultural commodities, illustrating the value of considering outcomes at finer scales.

Second-hand smoke exposure in adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean: a pooled analysis

Second-hand smoke exposure is prevalent amongst adolescents, despite of being a preventable risk factor associated with unfavourable outcomes. The distribution of this risk factor varies by underlying determinants and public health officers need contemporary evidence to update policies. Using the most recent data available from adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), we described the prevalence of second-hand smoking. Pooled analysis of Global School-based Student Health (GSHS) surveys conducted from 2010 to 2018 was conducted. Two indicators were analysed based on information from the 7 days prior to the survey: a) any exposure to second-hand smoking (0 vs≥1 days of exposure); and b) daily exposure (<7 vs 7 days). Prevalence estimates were carried out accounting for the complex survey design, and reported overall, by country, by sex, and by subregion. GSHS surveys were administered in 18 countries, yielding a total of 95,805 subjects. Pooled age-standardised prevalence of second-hand smoking was 60.9% (95% CI: 59.9%-62.0%) with no substantial differences between boys and girls. The age-standardised prevalence of any second-hand smoking varied from 40.2% in Anguilla to 68.2% in Jamaica, and the highest prevalence was in the Southern Latin America subregion (65.9%). Pooled age-standardised prevalence of daily second-hand smoking was 15.1% (95% CI: 14.2%-16.1%), and was higher in girls than boys (16.5% vs 13.7%; p<0.001). The age-standardised prevalence of daily second-hand smoking ranged between 4.8% in Peru to 28.7% in Jamaica, and the highest age-standardised prevalence was in Southern Latin America (19.7%). The prevalence of any second-hand smoking is high among adolescents in LAC, though estimates changed substantially by country. While policies and interventions to reduce/stop smoking are implemented, attention should also be paid to avoid second-hand smoke exposure. Wellcome Trust International Training Fellowship (214185/Z/18/Z).

Variation in youth and young adult homicide rates and their association with city characteristics in Latin America: the SALURBAL study

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is one of the most urbanized and violent regions worldwide. Homicides in youth (15-24 years old, yo) and young adults (25-39yo) are an especially pressing public health problem. Yet there is little research on how city characteristics relate to homicide rates in youth and young adults. We aimed to describe homicide rates among youth and young adults, as well as their association with socioeconomic and built environment factors across 315 cities in eight LAC countries. This is an ecological study. We estimated homicide rates in youth and young adults for the period 2010-2016. We investigated associations of homicide rates with sub-city education and GDP, Gini, density, landscape isolation, population and population growth using sex-stratified negative binomial models with city and sub-city level random intercepts, and country-level fixed effects. The mean sub-city homicide rate per 100,000 in persons aged 15-24 was 76.9 (SD=95.9) in male and 6.7 (SD=8.5) in female, and in persons aged 25-39 was 69.4 (SD=68.9) in male and 6.0 (SD=6.7) in female. Rates were higher in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador than in Argentina, Chile, Panama and Peru. There was significant variation in rates across cities and sub-cities, even after accounting for the country. In fully adjusted models, higher sub-city education scores and higher city GDP were associated with a lower homicide rate among male and female (rate ratios (RR) per SD higher value in male and female, respectively, 0.87 (CI 0.84-0.90) and 0.90 (CI 0.86-0.93) for education and 0.87 (CI 0.81-0.92) and 0.92 (CI 0.87-0.97) for GDP). A higher city Gini index was associated with higher homicide rates (RR 1.28 (CI 1.10-1.48) and 1.21 (CI 1.07-1.36) in male and female, respectively). Greater isolation da was also associated with higher homicide rates (RR 1.13 (CI 1.07-1.21) and 1.07 (CI 1.02-1.12) in male and female, respectively). City and sub-city factors are associated with homicide rates. Improvements to education, social conditions and inequality and physical integration of cities may contribute to the reduction of homicides in the region. The Wellcome Trust [205177/Z/16/Z].

BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE: DYNAMICS FOR THE LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is increasingly turning out to become a global endeavor and has recently been extended to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. The diversity in the makeup of the nation-states in the region poses several challenges concerning the region's association with the BRI. For instance, Venezuela has borrowed heavily from China while being mired in economic troubles. The Venezuelan example serves as a caution to others as well as China on the intricacies of debt management and lending. This paper aims to study the challenges and risks arising from the Belt and Road Initiative extending to Latin America and the Caribbean region. This paper also tries to analyses as to whether a win-win outcome can be achieved for both China and the LAC nation-states and as to what China seeks from the region. An attempt has been made to evaluate the role that the global environment might play in this evolving relationship between China and the LAC nation-states. The paper also analyse the post pandemic BRI investment in the LAC region.

COVID-19 and human resources for health: analysis of planning, policy responses and actions in Latin American and Caribbean countries

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to worldwide health service disruptions, due mainly to insufficient staff availability. To gain insight into policy responses and engage with policy-makers, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed a global approach to assess and measure the impact of COVID-19 on the health workforce. As part of this, WHO, together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), supported an impact analysis of COVID-19 on health workers and policy responses, through country case studies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).MethodsWe sought to identify lessons learned from policies on human resources for health (HRH) during health emergencies, to improve HRH readiness. First, we performed a rapid literature review for information-gathering. Second, we used the WHO interim guidance and impact measurement framework for COVID-19 and HRH to systematically organize that information. Finally, we used the Health Labour Market Framework to guide the content analysis on COVID-19 response in eight LAC countries and identify lessons learned to improve HRH readiness.ResultsPlanning and implementing the COVID-19 response required strengthening HRH governance and HRH data and information systems. The results suggest two main aspects for HRH governance crucial to enabling an agile response: (1) aligning objectives among ministries to define and produce regulation and policy actions; and (2) agreeing on the strategy for HRH management between the public and private sectors, and between central and local governments. We identified three areas for improvement: (a) HRH information systems; (b) methodologies to estimate HRH needs; and (c) teams to analyse information for decision-making. Three key actions were identified during countries monitored, reviewed, and updated their response stages: (i) strengthening response through primary health care; (ii); planning HRH needs to implement the vaccination plan; and (iii) securing long-term HRH availability.ConclusionCountries coordinated and articulated with different stakeholders to align objectives, allocate resources, and agree on policy actions to implement the COVID-19 response. Data and information for HRH preparedness and implementation were key in enabling an agile COVID-19 response and are key areas to explore for improved pandemic preparedness.

&lt;p&gt;Long-Run Economic Losses&amp;nbsp;from COVID-Related&amp;nbsp;Preprimary Program&amp;nbsp;Closures in Latin America and the Caribbean&lt;/p&gt;

Hundreds of millions of children are losing learning opportunities, resulting in potentially large losses in their lifetime education, health, income, and productivity. Losses in long-term earnings from preprimary program closures due to COVID-19 can be unprecedented. Acute effects are plausible for such disruptions early in life when brains are rapidly developing and are very sensitive to environmental changes. This study briefly reviews existing literature related to the effects of preprimary programs and builds on this literature to present the first simulations of the long-run earnings losses—when current preschool-age children become adults—due to COVID-19 related preprimary-program closures in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The simulations are available for 26 LAC countries, representing varied contexts in terms of pre-pandemic preprimary-participation rates, income levels, and demographic indicators. Our results suggest that the present discounted value of lifetime losses is considerable, up to 4 percent of current annual GDPs. Timely policies, such as the implementation of remedial strategies, are needed to mitigate the effects of preprimary-program closures. JEL Classification Codes: I2; I24; J13; I26; I28

A time differencing qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of public-private partnership (PPP) market maturity

ABSTRACT This study examines how institutional change affects public-private partnership (PPP) market maturity. Using a novel Time Differencing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) method, the institutional settings of 19 different PPP markets across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) were analysed between 2009 and 2014. The results show enhancing the regulatory framework and institutional knowledge are necessary in order to increase PPP market maturity in most cases. However, a deteriorating investment climate coupled with a weaker regulatory framework led to declines in PPP market maturity. This suggests that the influence of institutional change on PPP market maturity is not symmetrical.

Latin American and Caribbean Participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative

In March 2013,1 Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a multinational infrastructure project in which China fnances initiatives in partner countries targeted towards advancing fve key cooperation priorities: policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, fnancial integration, and people-to-people bond.2 In 2017, Panama became the frst country in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to join the BRI.3 Since then, 21 LAC countries have joined the initiative by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China.4 Despite the rising popularity of the program in the region, twelve countries remain non-participants. This paper aims to employ a qualitative approach to analyze the participatory variation within Latin America and the Caribbean, asking if countries with increasing levels of trade interdependence with China are more likely to have signed a BRI MOU. It also considers potential diplomatic and political factors, such as a country’s recognition of Taiwan, that may preclude a country from joining the initiative. This paper is centered around a comparative case study of four countries with diferent levels of trade interdependence and BRI participation statuses: Chile, El Salvador, Colombia, and Guatemala. Within the scope of this case study, the results show that countries with upward trends across trade interdependence indices are more likely to participate in the BRI.

Indoor and outdoor air pollutants as emerging public health threat in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review

PurposeThis systematic review examined the emerging threat of indoor and outdoor pollutants to public health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).Design/methodology/approachPollutants and pollution levels are becoming an increasing cause for concern within the LAC region, primarily because of the rapid increase in urbanization and the use of fossil fuels. The rise in indoor and outdoor air pollutants impacts public health, and there are limited regional studies on the impact of these pollutants and how they affect public health. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Web of Science and ScienceDirect databases. Significant search terms included “indoor air pollution,” “outdoor air pollution,” “pollution,” “Latin America,” “Central America,” “South America” and “Caribbean was used.” The systematic review utilized the Rayyan systematic software for uploading and sorting study references.FindingsDatabase searches produced 1,674 results, of which, after using the inclusion–exclusion criteria and assessing for bias, 16 studies were included and used for the systematic review. These studies covered both indoor and outdoor pollution. Various indoor and outdoor air pollutants linked to low birth weight, asthma, cancer and DNA impairment were reported in this review. Even though only some intervention programs are available within the region to mitigate the harmful effects of pollution, these programs need to be robust and appropriately implemented, causing possible threats to public health. Significant gaps in the research were identified, especially in the Caribbean.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the study include limited available research done within LAC, with most of the research quantifying pollutants rather than addressing their impacts. Additionally, most studies focus on air pollution but neglect water and land pollution’s effects on public health. For this reason, the 16 studies included limited robustness of the review.Originality/valueAlthough available studies quantifying pollution threats in LAC were identified in this review, research on the adverse impacts of pollution, especially concerning public health, is limited. LAC countries should explore making cities more energy-efficient, compact and green while improving the transportation sector by utilizing clean power generation. In order to properly lessen the effects of pollution on public health, more research needs to be done and implemented programs that are working need to be strengthened and expanded.

Research on HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last ten years

Worldwide, Human T-lymphtropic virus-1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and 2) infects approximately more than 10 million people, mostly occurring in hyperendemic areas such as the region of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). A comprehensive bibliographic exploration of original articles published on the Web of Science Core Collection database over the last 10 years was done. A bibliometric analysis was performed using the bibliometrix package in RStudio and VOSviewer. A total of 519 articles published in 194 journals were identified along the 10 years studied. In 2012 the peak number of publications was identified and the average number of citations per document was 1.33. Galvao-Castro B was the author with the greatest number of publications. Aids Research and Human Retroviruses was the most productive journal, and the study by Bangham CRM was the most cited. Brazil was the country with most corresponding authors that had the most publications and the most significant number of total citations. Infections and HTLV-1 were the most used keywords. In conclusion, according to the current quantitative analysis, there is a need for more significant promotion of research on HTLV-1 and 2 among the scientific community of LAC.

Industry-research fronts – Private sector collaboration with research institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean

In which research fields is industry involved with research institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)? To shed light on this question, we applied bibliographic coupling to 13,000+ research articles and 500,000+ references indexed in Scopus for 1996–2021 as a means of determining the research fronts in which LAC-based research institutions collaborated with knowledge-intensive companies. Fields with higher betweenness centrality were those multidisciplinary, followed by physical (e.g. computer science applications), life (e.g. genetics), health (e.g. public health, environmental and occupational health) and social sciences and humanities (e.g. strategy and management). Furthermore, the period-by-period analysis unveiled a focused venturing into the physical sciences from 1996 to 2002. However, from the 2003–2021 periods, the new fields explored were mainly in the social sciences and humanities. Finally, we identified several unexplored research fronts, particularly in health (e.g. care planning) and the social sciences and humanities (e.g. demography).

The Advance of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 in Musaceae of Latin America and the Caribbean: Current Situation

The fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (syn. Fusarium odoratissimum) (Foc TR4) causes vascular wilt in Musaceae plants and is considered the most lethal for these crops. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), it was reported for the first time in Colombia (2019), later in Peru (2021), and recently declared in Venezuela (2023). This work aimed to analyze the evolution of Foc TR4 in Musaceae in LAC between 2018 and 2022. This perspective contains a selection of topics related to Foc TR4 in LAC that address and describe (i) the threat of Foc TR4 in LAC, (ii) a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production of Foc TR4 in LAC, (iii) the current situation of Foc TR4 in Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, (iv) medium-term prospects in LAC member countries, and (v) export trade and local food security. In this study, the presence of Foc TR4 in Venezuela and the possible consequences of the production of Musaceae in the long term were reported for the first time. In conclusion, TR4 is a major threat to banana production in Latin America and the world, and it is important to take measures to control the spread of the fungus and minimize its impact on the banana industry. It is important to keep working on the control of Foc TR4, which requires the participation of the local and international industry, researchers, and consumers, among others, to prevent the disappearance of bananas.

Socioemotional wealth in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous contexts: The case of family firms in Latin America and the Caribbean

The paradoxical nature of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) provides unique opportunities to advance management theory. Focusing on a dominant theoretical framework, Socioemotional Wealth (SEW), we argue that contextual features of LAC, namely the concept of extended family and the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, make family businesses “SEW intensive” (i.e., high degree of preservation and enhancement of various aspects of SEW) and “SEW sensitive” (i.e., high degree of firm responsiveness to external factors that are SEW-relevant). In turn, these SEW features influence decision making and approaches to dealing with performance hazards and venturing risks. While we use LAC as a specific context, our theorizing and 12 propositions are also relevant to guide future research on other regions of the world, such as parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, where the concept of extended family is widespread and a VUCA environment is also predominant. Overall, we use the characteristics of the LAC context to challenge existing assumptions, advance theory, and guide future empirical research on family businesses.