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ECLA, Washington and Inter-American Economic Relations, 1948–1968 ISSN 1728-5437 SERIES STUDIES AND PERSPECTIVES 20 ECLAC OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ECLA, Washington and Inter-American Economic Relations, 1948–1968 Isaac Cohen Thank you for your interest in this ECLAC publication ECLAC Publications Please register if you would like to receive information on our editorial products and activities. When you register, you may specify your particular areas of interest and you will gain access to our products in other formats. www.cepal.org/en/publications ublicaciones www.cepal.org/apps 20 ECLA, Washington and Inter-American Economic Relations, 1948–1968 Isaac Cohen This document has been prepared by Isaac Cohen, former Director of ECLAC Washington Office, and President of INVERWAY, LLC, a consulting company based in Washington, D.C. The views expressed in this document, which has been reproduced without formal editing, are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Organization. United Nations publication ISSN: 1728-5437 (electronic version) ISSN: 1727-9909 (print version) LC/TS.2020/38 LC/WAS/TS.2020/1 Distribution: Lp Copyright © United Nations, 2020 All rights reserved Printed at United Nations, Santiago 20-00222 This publication should be cited as: I. Cohen, “ECLA, Washington and Inter-American Economic Relations, 1948–1968”, Studies and Perspectives series- ECLAC Office in Washington, D.C., No. 20 (LC/TS.2020/38-LC/WAS/TS.2020/1), Santiago, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), 2020. Applications for authorization to reproduce this work in whole or in part should be sent to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Publications and Web Services Division, [email protected]. Member States and their governmental institutions may reproduce this work without prior authorization, but are requested to mention the source and to inform ECLAC of such reproduction. ECLAC - Studies and Perspectives series-Washington, D.C. No. 20 ECLA, Washington … 3 Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 References .................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Time line .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 I. Creation and continuation, 1948–1951 ......................................................................................................... 23 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 B. The creation of the Economic Commission for Latin America ....................................................... 23 C. Negotiations ....................................................................................................................................................24 1. Chilean diplomacy .....................................................................................................................................24 2. United States diplomacy ......................................................................................................................... 26 3. United States position .............................................................................................................................. 27 D. Concrete results in Montevideo ............................................................................................................... 30 1. Consultations .............................................................................................................................................. 30 2. Concrete steps............................................................................................................................................ 31 E. Changed circumstances ............................................................................................................................... 32 1. The primacy of security: Korea ............................................................................................................. 32 2. A new helmsman ....................................................................................................................................... 33 ECLAC - Studies and Perspectives series-Washington, D.C. No. 20 ECLA, Washington … 4 F. Solution in Mexico .........................................................................................................................................34 G. The Economic Commission for Latin America, Washington............................................................ 38 H. Epilogue............................................................................................................................................................. 39 References ..................................................................................................................................................................43 II. A place in the sun, 1952–1954 .........................................................................................................................45 A. Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................45 B. Recruitment ......................................................................................................................................................45 1. Building a team ..........................................................................................................................................46 2. Cold War compulsions ............................................................................................................................49 C. Breakthrough ...................................................................................................................................................54 D. On to Caracas .................................................................................................................................................. 56 E. The Caracas Conference .............................................................................................................................. 59 F. Evaluations ........................................................................................................................................................ 71 References .................................................................................................................................................................. 73 III. The road to Quitandinha, 1954 .................................................................................................................. 75 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 75 B. Preparations ..................................................................................................................................................... 75 1. In the United States .................................................................................................................................. 76 2. In Latin America ....................................................................................................................................... 104 C. The Quitandinha Conference .................................................................................................................... 112 D. Epilogue............................................................................................................................................................ 117 References ................................................................................................................................................................. 118 IV. The road to Buenos Aires, 1955–1956 .................................................................................................... 121 A. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................121 B. United States preparatory activities ........................................................................................................ 121 C. The role of the Economic Commission for Latin America.............................................................. 131 D. The Buenos Aires Economic Conference, 15 August–3 September 1957 .................................. 137 E. The outcome .................................................................................................................................................. 142 References ...............................................................................................................................................................
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