ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationships between the countries of Latin America and the main factors that influence the policies adopted by governments towards their neighbours. Latin American foreign policies have been shaped by the reality of US power and have adapted in response to changing US priorities. Brazil has always occupied a distinctive position within Latin America where, for more than a century after independence, many Spanish American intellectuals and governments did not consider their Portuguese-speaking neighbour to be part of the region. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of bipolar superpower tensions had important consequences for Latin America because, in the immediate term, it further limited the region's foreign policy options. Five key themes emerge in the analysis of Latin American international relations today: sovereignty, multilateralism, regionalism, security, and democracy. Regional integration has long been an aspiration of Latin American political elites, and has become an important theme in regional affairs.
