THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY OF LATIN AMERICA: GENESIS AND LIMITS OF THIRD WORLD COOPERATIO

This is a history of Latin American economic cooperation from 1889 to 1976. Following a survey of regional colonial and nineteenth century international economic history, Latin American views expressed at inter-American conferences from 1889 to the 1950s are described in the context of the regional position in the world economy. The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America is discussed. The issues of the 1961 conference which created the Alliance for Progress are described in detail, the results of the Alliance and the contemporaneous Latin American Common Market are evaluated and accompanying political developments are surveyed.;The work also deals with Latin American involvement in the development of the third world movement. Latin American participation in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Group of 77 is followed and the positions taken in the Special Latin American Coordinating Committee (CECLA) are analyzed. This is done in the context of the responses by developed countries and international agencies to the demands made in UNCTAD.;The method of research included use of published works to define the historical background and early inter-American conferences, and the study of documents from the later hemispheric and international conferences to discover the history of the ideas developed in these forums. An effort was made where possible to show positions taken by Latin American delegations, but emphasis is upon the ideas as they were developed at the international level. Theoretical writing by Latin American and non-Latin American analysts was compared and statistical material was included to indicate economic changes taking place.;Conclusions include that the main goals of the New International Economic Order--improved trading relationships, restraints on foreign investing, need for international financing--were addressed internationally by Latin American nations starting in 1889; that these ideas were paramount during the attempt to form the International Trade Organization in 1948; that third world economic cooperation was impeded by developed countries' policies and that international cooperation by the third world countries to achieve concessions from industrialized countries is of limited usefulness.