Published: Autumn 1994    |    By: David Mackenzie    |    Volume 52, No. 1

Summary

Canada’s relations with the other nations of the western hemisphere were given a significant boost at the beginning of 1990 when, after decades of discussion and debate in which both strong support for and serious reservations about membership were expressed, Canada joined the Organization of American States (oAs). If nothing else, this leap of faith reflected an increasing interest in Latin America and the Caribbean and largely symbolized Canada’s full entrance into the inter-American system. Now, after five years of active membership, it is possible to look back and assess Canada’s performance in the OAS, and to consider whether or not the original hopes have been realized or the concerns borne out.

About the Author

David Mackenzie teaches history at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and is author of Inside the Atlantic Triangle (1986), Canada and International Civil Aviation (1989), and Arthur Irwin: A Biography (1993).