Latin America, considered by the United States of America as its backyard, is fast becoming a growing movement against the neo-liberal economics of the Washington Consensus and against the Washington domination. We are watching the survival of Cuba, despite the four-decade old economic embargo, imposed by the U.S., the changes in Venezuela under Hugo Chavez, the victory of a popular movement in Bolivia, and possibly a change in Peru in a few months time. But does in the post cold-war scenario in the world, these changes matter to the United States of America, the leader of the unipolar world after the demise of the rival U.S.S.R.? These developments in Latin Americas are being hailed as a shift in favour of popular movements for which the Left have waited for a quarter of a century.



Leftists believe that the Washington Consensus has received its first serious challenge within Latin America. It has come initially in the shape of the Bolivian revolution in Venezuela.



These pro-Left developments in Latin America are nothing but minor irritants for the U.S. which is engaged in the important job of ‘War on Terrorism’ in the world. Unless the Latin American countries, rich in natural resources percolates the fruits of development to the masses, the euphoria of a Left swing may be shortlived.