Latin American Unification

This book investigates efforts to promote the political and economic unification of Latin America. Every generation in the region has known some effort toward these goals. There were four major stages. The first endeavors were undertaken by diplomats, the second by idealists, the third by technocrats and the fourth stage is now dominated by pro-unification political leaders. Efforts toward integration promote the economies and political stability of these countries—Latin Americans were among the first of the old “third world” people to advance such programs. The political unification of Latin America has been stymied by the political class but this trend is currently being reversed with the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR). The recent accession of Venezuela after a grueling political-ideological struggle (examined in the book) has spurred other countries to seek full membership in the group. It is now the third largest trade bloc in the world and is continuing to grow. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Salvador Rivera is a professor at the State University of New York. He lives in Cobleskill, New York.

Salvador Rivera
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 308
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7625-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0569-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Introduction 4
I. Impediments to Political Union in Latin America 11
II. Revolution, Independence and Early Initiatives for Political Union 23
III. The First Diplomatic Effort: The Panama Congress 34
IV. Transfer to Tacubaya and the Defeat of the Treaty of Confederation 72
V. Other State-Directed Initiatives in the Nineteenth Century 84
VI. Idealists Take the Initiative 120
VII. Intellectual and Political Partisans of the Twentieth Century 137
VIII. 1948–1960: The Age of the ECLA and the Technocrats 164
IX. The Age of LAFTA 174
X. The United States and Latin American Integration 193
XI. MERCOSUR 226
Conclusion 256
Chapter Notes 265
Bibliography 285
Index 294

“A detailed, multifaceted account of efforts to stimulate integration of the economies in the region. Recommended”—Choice.