It is not often that a scholarly work is published on U.S.-Bolivian relations, as Latin American scholarship has focused historically on either the larger republics or countries with a particular interest to the U.S., invariably because of revolutionary movements or regimes. Despite its less publicized role in inter- and intrahemispheric affairs, Bolivia is a very important country and its relationship with the U.S., especially since World War II, is quite significant and rather telling of how U.S. foreign policy is conducted with a country that has limited resources and even less political leverage.
Delineating the different political, economic, and cultural traditions in the U.S. and Bolivia, the author argues that since the early nineteenth century there have been historical obstacles to cooperation between the two countries. Lehman’s poignant analysis addresses two important questions: To what degree are such differences the root causes of the lack of cooperation? To what extent...
