Mercosure, The Free Trade Area of the Americas, and the Future of U.S. Hegemony in Latin America

The purpose of this Article is to examine U.S. hegemony in Latin America by looking at the impact of the Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA ) negotiations on U.S.-Latin American relations. Does the FTAA process confirm the claim that since World War II ... the general trend has always been for the United States to exert a great degree of influence over Latin American countries... ? Does it mark the beginning of a new, more balanced relationship between the United States and Latin America, a mature partnership based on reciprocity, mutuality of interests and mutual respect? Alternatively, are the United States and Latin America growing apart? Can Latin America say good-bye to the United States and establish a presence of its own on the world stage