From the discovery of national states to the difficult interdependence: the bicentenary of the international relationships of Latin America

Abstract

Latin American States emerged from emancipation, mainly as a result of the administrative divisions of Spain and Portugal crowns. The international links of these countries were characterized by the organization of the «national Stats», then relations among these States themselves, including occasional conflicts, and by relations with European nations, mainly England. In the 20th century, the presence of the U.S., the two world wars and the Cold War threw a large shade on the international life of the continent. Latin American countries were divided inside themselves upon ideological lines. After the Cold War, Latin American governments developed new links among them and with outside key player, even if cooperation in the continent is not the strength of their political systems. Latin American countries still struggle in order to become truly modern in the social and economic sense.