Many books and articles have appeared on the topic of regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean, yet the debate is far from concluded. There is not only a lack of consensus but also a lack of factual information on important aspects.

By focusing the research primarily on financial issues and by reporting extensively on a two-day discussion between experienced researchers and policymakers which was held at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago de Chile, this book hopes to make a contribution to both providing new information and shaping new opinions.

The four papers presented in this volume are written by well-known experts Percy Mistry, Stephany Griffith-Jones, Ricardo Ffrench-Davis, and Roberto Bouzas. Mistry presents a thought-provoking and broad view of the problem; Griffith-Jones explores the little-researched financial aspects of Latin American integration; Ffrench-Davis focuses on the crucial role of intra-regional trade; Bouzas looks at the policy dilemmas and prospects posed by NAFTA.