Contemporary U.S.-Latin American Relations

Description

Drawing on the research and experience of fifteen internationally recognized Latin America scholars, this insightful text presents an overview of inter-American relations during the first decade of the twenty-first century. This unique collection identifies broad changes in the international system that have had significant affects in the Western Hemisphere, including issues of politics and economics, the securitization of U.S. foreign policy, balancing U.S. primacy, the wider impact of the world beyond the Americas, especially the rise of China, and the complexities of relationships between neighbors.

Contemporary U.S.-Latin American Relations focuses on the near-neighbors of the United States—Mexico, Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America—as well as the larger countries of South America—including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. Each chapter addresses a country’s relations with the United States, and each considers themes that are unique to that country’s bilateral relations as well as those themes that are more general to the relations of Latin America as a whole. This cohesive and accessible volume is required reading for Latin American politics students and scholars alike.

Reviews

"Fifteen outstanding scholars, eight residing in Latin America and seven residing in the United States, collaborate in this exceptionally well-informed, balanced, nuanced and up-to-date discussion of contemporary relations between the United States and the diverse Latin American and Caribbean nations. This is a valuable primer on how and why U.S.-Latin American relations are changing, and where they are heading. I will assign it to my students and recommend it to decision-makers."

—Abraham F. Lowenthal, University of Southern California

"This highly readable volume applies cutting-edge analysis to current U.S. interactions with nations from Mexico to the Southern Cone. Up-to-date and notably well-integrated, this set of essays will serve both scholars and teachers alike."

—Christopher Mitchell, New York University

"Domínguez and Fernández de Castro's book is a collaborative gem—the best work on contemporary relations between the United States, major Latin American countries, and key regions available today. Accessible to undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars alike, its balanced, rigorous analysis is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand where U.S.-Latin American relations are heading in the 21st century, and why."

—Mark Williams, Middlebury College

"A remarkable effort to update and enrich our understanding of U.S.-Latin American relations in the last decade. This volume gathers the work of distinguished specialists, providing us with a comprehensive, thoughtful, and provocative overview of the state and prospects of inter-American relations in the 21^st century. A must-read for scholars and practitioners alike."

—Ana Margheritis, University of Florida

Contents

1. The Changes in the International System during the 2000s Jorge I. Domínguez Part I 2. U.S.-Mexican Relations in the Twenty-First Century Jorge I. Domínguez and Rafael Fernández de Castro 3. The United States and Cuba since 2000 Marifeli Pérez-Stable 4. The United States and Central America since 2000: Free Trade and Diaspora Diplomacy Cristina Eguizábal 5. U.S.-Caribbean Relations: Modifying Traditional Hegemony and Sovereignty in the Caribbean Anthony P. Maingot Part II 6. Argentina and the United States: A Distant Relationship Roberto Russell 7. Brazil-U.S. Relations: Getting Better All the Time Monica Hirst 8. Chile and the United States 2000-2009: From Elusive Friendship to Cooperative Friendship Claudia F. Fuentes Julio and Francisco Rojas Aravena 9. Colombia and the United States: Strategic Partners or Uncertain Allies? Cynthia J. Arnson and Arlene B. Tickner 10. The United States and Peru in the 2000s Cynthia McClintock and Fabián Vallas 11. Relations between the United States and Venezuela, 2001-2009: A Bridge in Need of Repairs Carlos A. Romero and Javier Corrales

Author Bio

Jorge I. Domínguez is the Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Politics and Economics and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Harvard University. He is a past president of the Latin American Studies Association.

Rafael Fernández de Castro has been Chair, Founder, and full-time Professor of the Department of International Studies, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), Mexico City, since 1991. He is currently on leave to work as President Felipe Calderón´s Foreign Policy Advisor.

Related Subjects

1. Latin American Politics
2. Latin American Studies
3. Foreign Policy