DICTIONARY OF LATIN AMERICAN INTEGRATION

From the midway point of the 20th century on, the process of economic integration in Latin America and the Caribbean represented a genuine attempt to foster harmonious, balanced development in the region. However, the results have not been as successful as might have been expected and there is little doubt that one of the main reasons why performance has fallen so far short of expectations is the lack of a strong integrationist political intent, above all in the countries with the most developed economies in relative terms, namely, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Nonetheless, other aspects have also slowed the pace of integrationist processes, such as the lack of objectivity at the design stage: first defining the legal terms, then setting the economic terms and conditions, before finally developing the technological aspects. All of the terms relating to Latin American political, economic, legal and social integration are defined and updated in this dictionary, a must for students, researchers and anyone else looking to understand the current reality of Latin America. Among the elements that set this dictionary apart is a glossary explaining the origin and history of all of the currencies currently used in countries across the region.