The Maiestas Foundation and Thomson Aranzadi Publishers, in cooperation with the Foundation for Social Analysis and Research and the Spanish newspaper Expansión, have recently published “The Latin American economy: crisis and enthusiasm. My latest reflections on this region” by Professor Juan Velarde Fuertes, in The Global Law Collection.

The book, with a prologue by former Spanish Premier José María Aznar, brings together the main articles published by Velarde in the media, which explain why Latin American countries have gone through deep crises of various kinds. Velarde's book is essential reading for any analyst who wants to understand the recent past, the present and the future of the Latin American economy. 

Juan Velarde Fuertes obtained a degree in Economics in the first year of the School of Political and Economic Sciences of Madrid, where he took his Ph.D. in 1956, which was awarded an Extraordinary Prize. He was Full Professor at the University of Barcelona (1960-1963), and at the Complutense University of Madrid, where he is now Emeritus Professor; he is also Professor at the San Pablo CEU University in Madrid. He was also President of the Latin American University of Santa María de la Rábida (1974-1977) and President of the Governing Academic Council of the Francisco de Vitoria University.

He has been a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences since 1978 and has been awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of Alicante, Oviedo, Valladolid and Seville, and the Pontifical University of Comillas. Since 1991, Velarde has been a Member of the Court of Audit. He was awarded the National Essay Prize in 1971; the "Prince of Asturias" Social Sciences Prize in 1992; "King Jaime I" Economics Prize in 1996 and the “Infanta Cristina” Prize for Economics of Castile and León in 1997. In September 2002, he was given the “King Juan Carlos” Prize for Economics. He also holds the Honorary Medal of the International Menéndez Pelayo University, and is a Member of the Academia Scientarium et Artium Europaea as well as being a Member of Merit of the Portuguese Historical Academy.