Never in America … has there been a matter requiring more good
judgment or more vigilance, or demanding a clearer and more thorough
examination.” José Martí's observation on the
first effort by the United States to unite both Americas at the
Pan-American Congress in 1889 is relevant again today. Efforts to unite
the two hemispheres are underway with the proposal to create a Free Trade
Area of the Americas and the flurry of preliminary bilateral and regional
trade agreements that the Bush Administration has been pushing in Latin
America. It appears that Latin American leaders have taken the quote to
heart—most trade negotiations now focus on forming a united regional
front. The aim of “regionalization” is to unite countries in
Latin America into small groups prior to their integration into a larger,
hemisphere-wide trade bloc.Luisa Angrisani
was educated at Fordham University, where she completed a master's
degree in international political economy and development, specializing in
Latin America. She joined the Economist Intelligence Unit and is presently
a regional editor, assessing political, economic, and financial conditions
in Latin America ([email protected]). She has also written several
articles, most recently for the National Interest.