The Nine Wise Men and the Alliance for Progress

Abstract

The inter-American system represents the first attempt to implement the idea of regional cooperation. Regardless of general world opinion about the system's success, since its inception at the beginning of the nineteenth century the nations of the Americas have tried to establish a juridical order capable of solving their mutual problems, to jointly face the defense of the hemisphere, and to preserve peace in the region. In fact, however, these policies, initially expressed by the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, were first pursued unilaterally and later, after the First International Conference of American States in 1889–1890, through an ineffective collective body. They did not achieve the desired objectives and in fact only led to such violent forms of imperialism as the “big stick policy” and interventionism.