Suchergebnisse

A detailed examination of the roots of revolution and counterrevolution in Central America and the Caribbean, this book draws on the research of an interdisciplinary team of noted scholars. The authors give special attention to the institutional and structural causes of stability and instability--in particular, the traditional role of the United States; the current economic crisis; the changing role of the Roman Catholic church; the influence of the military and security forces, the oligarchy, and the business sector; the problems of instituting socioeconomic reform; the politics of subsistence; and the revolutionary opposition. Following the thematic chapters, a country-by-country focus is employed to assess the situations in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, and a section devoted to the international dimensions of the crisis looks at Mexican, Soviet, Cuban, and U.S. policies toward the region, The editors' concluding chapter explores prospects for the future of this troubled area.

Jamaica experienced one of the longest uninterrupted periods of negative growth among LDCs in the 1970s. Agricultural exports led this decline, exacerbating foreign exchange shortages. The authors investigate the influence of the major commodity boards' policies on agricultural export production. It is argued that the failure to recognize the importance of price policy has led to counterproductive effects with negative consequences for the country's export performance