Book description
The mistakes the United States has made in Latin America-and the high
price it will pay for them
Could it be that for the first time in history, the United States
needs Latin America more than the other way round? Since the early
1800s, the United States regarded the region as its “backyard,” but in
the past decade South America's leaders have increasingly snubbed US
efforts to persuade them to adopt free-market economics and sign trade
agreements. While Washington has been distracted by military campaigns
elsewhere, rivals such as China, Russia, and Iran have expanded their
clout in Latin America, and US influence in the region has fallen to a
historic low-at the very time that the United States has become more
dependent than ever on exporting to Latin America and importing its
oil. Combining sharp wit and great storytelling with trenchant
analysis, Hal Weitzman examines how America “lost the South” and
argues that if the United States is to find a new role in a world of
emerging superpowers, it must reengage with Latin America.
- Charts the rise of resource nationalism-in which governments take
increasing control of natural resources and squeeze multinational
corporations-in South America and across the world
- Illustrates analytical points with vivid stories-such as the
disappearance of the Panama hat or the sweater Evo Morales wore
throughout a world tour-and interviews with presidents,
policymakers, and protesters
- Written by a Financial Times journalist who formerly served
as its Andes correspondent based in Lima, Peru
Hal Weitzman is the Chicago and Midwest corres-pondent of the
Financial Times. He was previously the FT's Andes correspondent, based
in Lima, Peru.
