Report
July 22, 2026 • 3:00 pm ET
Jose Antonio Gonzalez Anaya, Martin Cassinelli
Bottom lines up front
Much is known about China’s investments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), but less is known about where the region’s largest investor—the US—invests, and what impact its dollars have.A new analysis of US investment in the region shows a heterogeneous profile spanning energy, digital infrastructure, manufacturing, and services, concentrated primarily in Mexico, Brazil, and Guyana, with a growing tilt toward energy and digital investment in recent years.US investment generates more jobs per dollar invested in LAC than other countries’ investments, funds more research and development in LAC, links to local companies across the supply chain, and transfers managerial best practices to the local workforce.
