Since Latin America entered the 21st century, its economic reforms have been in the process of being deepened and relatively higher growth rates have been achieved. Democracy has been all the more resilient and, with the rise of the left, political dualism has been reinforced. In the foreign policy area, the region’s diplomatic independence has been strengthened and its international position is on the rise. Last but not least, poverty rate has been curtailed in many countries of the region, though social issues are still very serious.
        Despite the above progress, however, Latin America’s development prospects are still determined by a number of internal and external factors. (ver )