In Latin America change happens. In a number of Latin American countries, citizens have declared “neoliberalism” a failure by voting for governments that promised to go about the scandalous extent of social inequality and mass poverty. At the same time, this governments appear on the international scene with strengthened self-confidence, demand to be accepted as equal partners, and refuse external diktat.
Reasons enough for Germany to reconsider its Latin America policy that has so far focused on development cooperation and sales markets. In HSFK-Standpunkt 4/2008 „Lateinamerika als Partner? Zur deutschen Außenpolitik gegenüber einer Region im Wandel“ (Latin America as Partner? On German foreign policy towards a region in change), Jonas Wolff analyzes present changes in the region and from those deduces recommendations for the German policy towards Latin America.