Forty years of US Latin American technical and economic cooperation

technical and economic assistance to Latin America from the formation in 1942 of the Institute of Inter-American Affairs to the current Caribbean Basin Initiative is reviewed. Early efforts centered on forming joint technical service units to improve the capabilities of Latin American ministries, especially in the areas of agriculture, health, and education. In the 1950"s this assistance was expanded into new areas such as public administration and low-cost housing, loans for financing U.S. exports were introduced, and the capital of public lending institutions rose greatly. Nonetheless, a rising tide of social consciousness led Latin America leaders to see in this increased help only increased cause for the criticism that the United States was strengthening systems oppressing the poor. The U.S. response was summed up in the establishment in 1961 of the Alliance for Progress, the greatest achievement of which was to make development the number one agenda item of every country in the hemisphere. Nonetheless, failure to stimulate private enterprise has tended to widen the gap between developed and developing countries. Latin America"s worsening economic condition since the 1970"s has led to the recognition that financial and technical support of private enterprise is a sine qua non for progress.