Institutional structure and agency in the governance of spatial diversification of port system evolution in Latin America

Based on four national case studies of port reform in Latin America, the paper discusses how the interplay between structure and agency in the reform of port governance has in some cases created merely a “new” path dependency. Findings show that short-term gains in technical efficiency in individual ports contrast with a long-term loss of power from the public to the private sector and the lack of integrated transport and logistics policies necessary to support ongoing port development.