This article focuses on the contradictory position of the United States in its economic policies towards Latin America. By pressuring the region to maintain its debt service, the US government left Latin American countries with little choice but to produce large trade surpluses, as voluntary...

pt. 1. Macroeconomic and distributional dimensions of energy shocks -- pt. 2. Social, local and environmental impacts of changes in the energy market -- pt. 3. The impacts of bio and alternative fuels -- pt. 4. Conclusions.