Governments at every level (From International to Federal to Local) produce a significant amount of published and unpublished information on every topic available. The resources on this page include those from many governments, as all provide important perspectives, data, historical record of events on Latin America. In order, these include resources provided by:
In addition, some resources are grouped by type:
See also UCSD Research Guides for
There are many strategies for finding relevant US government resources. As stated above, a great starting point is the UCSD US Government Information Research Guide. The databases, websites, and print guides/indexes listed below are also excellent. Several of these resources will help you identify specific publications (with call numbers that you can browse around to find more) that will have information on your topic. Finally, you can simply go to the shelves with print documents (Geisel 2W) and browse by call number. In order to find out which call number to browse in, you need to understand that US government documents and publications are organized by the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification Scheme, which is based on US government agencies. In order to find out what letters (stems of classification numbers) have been assigned to different agencies, you can use the list (scroll down to the bottom of the page) provided by the US Federal Depository Library Program.
Please note that I have listed the following resources are in order of my own preference (mostly because of ease of searching), but all resources below are very important.
Foreign Relations of the United States
Official Documentary Historical record of major US foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Includes documents from Presidential libraries, Departments of State and Defense, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs agencies as well as the private papers of individuals involved in formulating U.S. foreign policy.
The Confidential US State Department Central Files and Consulate Despatches are reports by diplomats on the political, military, social, and economic events and developments in the countries in whcih they are stationed. In the past, these existed in microform, print, and online formats. They are increasingly available online, both by the Natoinal Archives and Record Administration itself and in other databases. Please note that the Consulate correspondence is indicated as "despatches."
US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Department of State Central Files
Various Databases provide online access to selected portions/collections of State Department Records -- these include:
Catalog of US Government Documents: Keyword searchable, online index to government documents provided by the US Government.
Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States
The Print Version is available at:
US Docs, Geisel Floor2 West AE 1.108:G 94 (3 vol.)
The index to the print version is very helpful in idetifying relevant collections in microfilm and other formats which can be used at the Archives themseles, or in many cases, at other libraries. UCSD holds some of these and increasing amounts of content is becoming digitized. Additional information can likely be borrowed through inter-library loan. Such holdings include copies of many collections from foreign archives.
An excellent portal to many Latin American government resources is LANIC's Government Link (on its homepage). You can explore Latin American government websites by country, subject, branch (i.e. Law & Justice, Military, Political Parties), etc.
Brazilian Government Documents
Executive branch serial documents form the Brazilian government from 1821 to 1993. Also includes Presidential Messages. Maintained at the Center for Research Libraries.
Latin American Government Documents Archive (LAGDA)
Web-archiving service capturing ministries and presidents of 18 Latin American countries. Compiled by the University of Texas at Austin.
Political Database of the Americas
Extensive information about political systems, constitutions, electoral data, political parties, indigenous peoples, democracy and political participation in most Latin American countries. Maintained at Georgetown University.
Presidential Messages -- Argentina and Mexico
Contains digital images of Mexican and Argentinian presidential speeches from the early 19th century to the present. Compiled by the Latin American Research Resources Project of the Center for Research Libraries.
Archivo Digital de la Legislación en el Perú
Digital copies, in PDF, of Peruvian Legislation
Confidential Print: Latin America, 1833-1969 
The documents of Confidential Print: Latin America are full text records of the British Foreign Office covering the whole of South and Central America, plus the non-British islands of the Caribbean, from just after the final Spanish withdrawal from mainland America in the 1820s to the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. The series originated out of a need to preserve the most important papers generated by the Foreign and Colonial Offices. These range from single-page letters or telegrams to comprehensive dispatches, investigative reports and texts of treaties. All items marked ‘Confidential Print’ were printed and circulated immediately to leading officials in the Foreign Office, to the Cabinet, and to heads of British missions abroad.
See UCSD's Law Research Guide
A particularly helpful database for all types of legislation and law (including international) is
For international law, search in the categories: International Law and International Treaties and Agreements or select one of the following databases: History of International Law and World Constitutions Ilustrated and subject specific databases such as Religion and Law, Slavery in America and the World, and Women and the Law
The following research guides can also help with Legal research in individual Latin American Countries:
Hover over the "Online Services" Box to select various ways to search the collection.
[Brazil] LEXML: Rede de Informaçao Legislativa e Jurídica
[Mexico] (US) Library of Congress Research Guide
[Mexico] University of Wisconsin Research Guide
[Mexico] Arizona State U. Research Guide
[Mexico] U Texas Research Guide
[Mexico] AALL Mexican Law and Legal Research Guide
Provided by the Latin American Law Interest Group (AALL)
[Mexico] SEGOB Leyes y Reglamentos Federales
Provided by Mexico's Secretaria de Gobernación
There are several resources held by UCSD Library and beyond which contain Latin American Census Material. These include:
1. The Family Search Digital Library, provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, is increasingly digitizing its microflm materials to make them freely accessible available online.
To search for and access material for a particular region, create an account and go to the Family Search Research Wiki.
Use the Map or "Search by Place and Topic" box. This will bring you to a country specific page where you can search for a more specific term or use the facet menu on the right to identify particular kinds of records and collections (church, census, etc.)
For example, to get to Mexico's first census (the Padrones, gathered between 1752-1865) as well as additional Mexican Census Material:
From the Famiy Search Research Wiki
> Search for Mexico, which will take you to the Mexico Genealogy Page
> Click on "Census" under record type on the left (Please note that you can also search for other formats and collections of vital statistics) OR Search for Padrones
(Either search brings you to the Mexico Census Page)
> Scroll down and click on: Padrones, 1752-1865
> Scroll down and click on the camera icon to the right of the documents you want to consult
2. The UCSD Library has purchased Datasets for relatively recent censuses in a number of Latin American Countries
Brazil 2010, Population Census, GCA-GIS
Chile 2017, Population Census, GCA-GIS
El Salvador 2007, Population Census, GCA-GIS
Guatemala 2018, Population Census, GCA-GIS
Honduras 2013, Population Census, GCA-GIS
Mexico, 2010, Population Census, GCA-GIS
All of these can be found in the "Latin American Census Collection" and accessed with AD login on the X: drive in the GIS Lab.
3. National Centers of Statistics and Geographical information (such as Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Informacion Estadistica y Geografica: INEGI) hold a wide range of census materials
