This collection of original essays focuses on the dynamics of the contemporary system of inter-American relations, with emphasis on changes in the hemispheric political economy, the control exercised by the United States over the behavior of Latin American governments, and the issue of human rights. The authors discuss varying facets of the complex relationships that are the result of the differing, yet inextricably intertwined, legacies, values, and interests that have characterized the mutual history of the Americas.