The document discusses several Latin American countries and their economic and political situations. It describes how NAFTA impacted Mexico's economy and led to job losses when China joined the WTO. It outlines Brazil's major industries, geography, and demographics. It also explains how Venezuela focused on oil exports which caused problems when oil prices dropped and political instability under Hugo Chavez who rewrote the constitution to consolidate power.

1. The Second WorldBy RoniRepp

2. MexicoThe Umbilical CordThe North American Free Trade Agreement was executed in 1994. But instead of helping Mexico take a step into the first world, the Zapatista National Liberation Army rebelled to expose the unfavorable situation the smaller farmers were in and assassinated two PRI Party leaders.

3. Joining NAFTA may have caused Mexico to fall further away from being an independent Latin America, leaving it rooted in Americas shadow. However, since its start in 1994, foreign investment in Mexico has more than doubled.

4. Mexico started to focus on a broader range of exporting goods. Almost 80% of their exports are manufactured.

5. When China joined the World Trade Center in 2001, it quickly out did Mexico in textile and manufacturing jobs, resulting in approximately 300,000 Mexicans without work, which in turn may be one critical reason for the illegal immigration issues in the USA.