FIGURE 3.15 Origins of Foreign Direct investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2006–2011. FDI flows into the region reached U.S.$153.448 billion in 2011, the highest total ever—and only a few years after a global financial crisis hit in 2008. The Netherlands was the leading investor in 2011, in large part because it is a conduit for investments from third-party countries. The United States was the second-leading investor, with 18% of the total; Spain was third; and Latin American countries were fourth in investing in other countries within the region. Brazil was the largest recipient of FDI in 2011, getting nearly half of the total, followed by Mexico and Chile.