Abstract

This article examines the issue of economic interdependence in Latin America and the United States. The United States and Latin America are due to meet in a special Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly oriented entirely to establishing new directions for cooperation on development. The decision to convene this conference may, in itself, mark a breakthrough in the hemispheric impasse over development. This meeting offers our nations an unparalleled opportunity to move off in a new development direction: not at odds but together. Interdependence must become the hallmarks of the Americas. This term need not be a sterile, empty word. It can promise a rich variety of plans and options. There are new interdependent currents and trends at work in our hemisphere. Whether we ride these new development waves toward a better future for all Americans, no matter where they live or whether these waves will be allowed to crash over our relationships and create hemispheric disharmony is the critical choice ahead.