Written by a distinguished group of noted Latin American experts, this volume analyzes the complex economic relationship between the United States and Latin America during the 1980s and into the 1990s. As the editors assert at the outset, the United States has not had a cohesive policy toward Latin America since the Kennedy administration’s Alliance for Progress. Instead, policy has vacillated, taking different positions on Latin American economic matters and requiring different actions on the part of Latin American governments. The essays collected here demonstrate in detail how the latent tensions among sometimes conflicting US policy goals have been exacerbated by the economic crises of Latin America in the 1980s. Among the key topics addressed are the mounting debt crisis, privatization, Latin American integration, and the specific effects of US policies on various aspects of Latin American economies. This book will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, and executives who deal regularly with Latin American issues.