Problem:

Telefonica is a Spanish telecommunications firm. For decades, Telefonica had operated as a typical state-owned enterprise, but privatization and deregulation changed that path in the 1990s. Telefonica began to aggressively pursue expansion opportunities in Latin America where it quickly became the number one or two player in nearly every country. Later, Telefonica turned its sights on Europe where its acquisitions helped transform the company into the second biggest mobile phone operator in the world.

Required:

Question 1) What changes in political and economic environment allowed Telefoncia to start expanding globally?

Question 2) Why did Telefonica initially focus on Latin America? Why was it slower to expand in Europe even though Spain is a member of the European Union?

Provide thorough explanation of the given question.