Critics slam The Economist for calling Latin American workers 'useless'

A recent article published in The Economist has drawn online backlash after its headline and heading characterized Latin American workers as "useless" and "unproductive."

"It's racist, it's incendiary, it's insulting," Alexander Aviña, an associate professor of history at Arizona State University, told NBC News in a phone interview.

The story, published Thursday in the London-based magazine that covers global and economic affairs, focuses on why Latin America, according to World Bank figures, is the world's slowest-growing regional economy. The article posited various factors, including governments' lack of investment in education, limited competition, a large informal economy and corruption.