Latin America and the West

LATIN AMERICA AND THE WEST

Carlos AlbertoMontaner was born in Havana in 1943. He has lived in Madrid since 1970. Was a university professor at several institutions in Latin America, Spain and the United States. For the past several decades, he has published a weekly column in dozens of publications, which led the magazine Power to estimate the number of his regular readers at six million and to describe him as one of the most infl uential journalists in the Spanish-speaking world. He is the author of numerous books of essays and narrations. His best known works, published in English, are Journey to the Heart of Cuba, Twisted Roots: Latin American´s Living Past, Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, 200 Hundred Years of Gringos, and Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot, co-written with Álvaro Vargas Llosa and Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza.
Montaner’s most recent books are Liberty and its Enemies, The Pillars of Freedom, and The Cold War’s Last Battle. A constant feature of Montaner’s extensive works is his concern over history and the cultural and economic problems of Latin America.

Book published by the Interamerican Institute for Democracy

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"An extraordinary book, beautifully written, encyclopedic and erudite but interesting and entertaining, full of insights that make us Latin Americans better understand the origins of our language, architecture, religion, politics, state role, literature, theater, plastic arts, entertainment and sports. The author states that since he was an adolescent wanted to write this book; he has indeed accomplished his dream and bequeathed us this wonderful history of our identity.

Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Latin American Studies, University of Pittsburgh

This fascinating book by Carlos Alberto Montaner debunks late Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington’s claim that Latin America is a subculture of the Western World, or a separate civilization that is not part of the West. Analyzing the region’s roots, traditions, and culture - including its favorite foods, songs and sports - Montaner makes a compelling case that the region is part of the Western World, despite current efforts by ideologues from the right and the left to prove the opposite. It’s a serious work, and a fun read.

Andres Oppenheimer, Columnist with The Miami Herald and author of “Saving the Americas:
Latin America’s dangerous decline, a nd what the U.S. must do” (Random House-Mondadori)

“Latin Americans and the West” is a much-needed response to the intellectual dishonesty of those—in the United States, Europe and Latin America itself—who would keep Latin Americans backward in order to placate their guilty consciences or their fear of freedom."

Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Author and Columnist. Director of the Center on Global Prosperity at the Independent Institute.