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Examines foreign and military relations between France and Latin America; potential for increased military cooperation. Highlights role of the armed forces and militarization in Latin American politics and foreign relations; regional dominance of the US.

A prolific novelist and author of several masterpieces of contemporary South American literature (Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, Conversation in the Cathedral, The Feast of the Goat, etc.), Mario Vargas Llosa is a cultivated, charismatic figure and a formidable public speaker. A poet and essayist -- he has written a magnificent study of Flaubert and Madame Bovary -- Vargas Llosa also has a passionate interest in history and international politics: he himself was a presidential candidate in Peru's 1990 elections, and is a regular commentator for the Spanish daily El Pais. In this interview with Olivier Guez, Mario Vargas Llosa dissects Chavez's extravagances in Venezuela, Lula's rise to power in Brazil, the right's recent victory in Chile, and Peru under Alan Garcia. His views are those of a politically committed man who has never stopped believing in the destiny of "his continent", South America. His positioning is that of an unapologetic free-marketer, at a time when all respectable intellectuals are supposed to be on the left. Adapted from the source document.

Political, economic, and social trends in Latin America; 9 articles with comments. Topics include democracy, civil-military relations, economic relations, foreign relations, and ethnic and social problems.

The election of Evo Morales in Bolivia & Michelle Bachelet in Chile -- which followed those of Tabare Vasquez in Uruguay, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Lula in Brazil & Nestor Kirchner in Argentina -- has prompted the media to wonder whether Latin America has taken a left turn. But the question presupposes a "eurocentric" vision of the Latin American political landscape. Certainly, most of these leaders proclaim themselves of the left, & many come from parties that are traditionally aligned to the left of the political spectrum. But it would not be right to conclude that they coordinate their internal policies or act together on the international arena. The left/right prism we hold so dear may not be the best way to understand the programs & political practices of these new leaders. Adapted from the source document.