In this book, some of the world's leading Latin Americanists explore the ways in which the region has re-engaged globalisation. At the time when a new administration in the United States is shifting gears in foreign policy, and the global crisis is leading many to question the very survival of capitalism as we have known it, Latin America is especially well to positioned to make the most of this new international conjuncture. This book provides a sharp, up-to-date analysis of the new sources of political power and allegiances in the region today.