ABSTRACT
The region of South America extends from the Panamanian border in the north to Cape Horn in the south, and is bounded to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. For the South American states there is an attraction, even in the case of Brazil, in Spain becoming an important power in the region again, particularly as US influence has been showing signs of a decline. The population is fairly homogeneous, consisting of about 65" mestizos and 30" European, the remainder being mainly Indian Class is a more divisive factor than race. Although the main ethnic groups are of mixed Spanish, Indian, and African blood, Colombia is one of the most Spanish of all South American countries and Spanish customs and values predominate. In the 1980s two groups dominated Peruvian politics, the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA) and an alliance of six leftwing parties called the Unifie.
