Lecture to examine relationship between U.S., Latin America

Lecture to examine relationship between U.S., Latin America
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“Culture,
Conflict and Civil Society in Latin America” will be
the topic of discussion at a lecture by Thomas Skidmore,
the Watson Institute of International Affairs Professor
at Brown University, at 2 p.m. Oct. 30 in 301 Sewall Hall.

Some of the United
States’ closest neighbors are countries far removed
from American public interest. Unfortunately, it is the
economic crisis spreading across Latin America that has
brought the region to recent attention. From social unrest
in Venezuela to failed reform efforts in Argentina, many
wonder if the same fate might affect countries such as Brazil
and Mexico. If this trend continues, it could adversely
impact an already weak American economy as well as strain
relations between the United States and South America. This
lecture will examine the political concerns of the larger
nations in Latin America, such as Brazil, Argentina and
Mexico, and how the historical, social and cultural factors
have influenced the conflict and crisis that exist today.

Skidmore has
published many authoritative books on Latin America and
Brazil that are widely used in university courses. He received
his master’s degree from Oxford University and his
Ph.D. from Harvard University. Skidmore is the former director
of the Center for Latin American Studies at Brown University.

This lecture
is presented by the Houston World Affairs Council in cooperation
with the Portuguese Program at Rice and the Center for the
Study of Languages.
For more information, contact Suzana Bloem at <sbloem@rice.edu>.