The deregulation of the electricity industry in Latin America: the case of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia.

Summary The development of the electrical industry in Latin America began at the end of the 19th century and proceeded in three stages. In the first stage, the service was developed mainly under private initiative. The second, which began after the Second World War and lasted until the 1990s (except in Chile), made the State the major player. The third corresponds to the current deregulation. The latter seeks to return responsibility for the sector to the private sector, implying a drastic change in the role played by the state. It is true that the English pool has been adopted by most Latin American countries. However, in England, deregulation seeks to introduce competition into a mature industry in order to make it more efficient, more transparent and to lower production costs. In Latin America, deregulation aims to attract foreign investment to meet increased energy demand. This thesis approaches the subject. It proposes a positive reading of the experiences implemented in Latin America, notably through the analysis of the cases of Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.