While much is different in Latin America today, there are some things that still have to occur to mark a departure from the past.

As South America attempts to develop an economic union, it faces many challenges in bringing together the countries' divergent economies and political organizations.

Bolivia is Latin America's pacesetter in innovative structural reform. Many of these important reforms may be challenged by the election of the conservative general Hugo Banzer Suarez. 

The South America bureau chief of the Economist, based in Sao Paulo, reports on Brazil's struggle with reform and the risks of a teetering economy.

The Landless Workers Movement in Brazil has worked toward helping millions of poor people who want to settle on idle land. However, the potential for a civil war is very real.

US Ambassador hopes "this article will contribute to our understanding of this huge country and demonstrate Brazil's importance to U.S. national interests."

A Cuban native, on returning home after 37 years in exile, finds Cuba to be virtually unchanged in many ways. He also finds that the people are tired of the Socialist experiment, and they are forced to survive on their wits.

Fidel Castro's Cuba is a police state and there are economic difficulties but there is none of the drabness and desolation associated with East bloc socialism. Tourism is the only industry that keeps the country going. While there is dissatisfaction with the Castro regime, people are angry with the US embargo also. Article discussing the impact of the Pope's visit is also included.

Haitians live in dire poverty, and the government has moved slowly on economic reforms. In addition, their electoral process has collapsed.

American involvement in Haitian government has failed to produce a stable democracy. Ongoing corruption and violence have kept voters away from the polls, disillusioned over the lack of change. Voter turnout has dropped from 30% in 1995 to 6% in Apr 1998. Although the international community has invested nearly $4 billion for privatization and free-market reform, political conflict has prevented many reforms from being enacted.

With the 1997 elections in Mexico comes a mandate to improve and modernize the political arena.

Pres. Bill Clinton will deal with a shift in US relations with Mexico during his second term that will prove to be more challenging than those faced by any other leader in modern history. Its southern neighbor will be a more proximate security threat to the US in the latter part of the 1990s and early 21st century than did the Soviets during the latter stage of the cold war. To avoid such likely scenario, the US should contribute to the economic prosperity of Mexico, reform its immigration policy and avoid militarizing antidrug efforts.