Canada Looks South: In Search of an Americas Policy Peter McKenna , ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012, pp. xxii, 416.

Abstract

Over the past two decades, Canada's role in Latin America has shifted considerably. Canadian corporations have become more involved in hemispheric trade and investment relations, and Canadian governments have become more engaged in regional diplomatic and security initiatives. In a culmination of these trends, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper announced in 2007 a "strategy for the Americas" to bolster economic growth, democratic governance and common security. As part of this strategy, the Canadian state has signed numerous agreements on trade, investment, development assistance and military cooperation with hemispheric partners. Despite these advances, the efficacy of the strategy has been debated in the media, the policy field and the foreign policy establishment. For example, in a 2011 internal review by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the strategy was said to suffer from a lack of focus, funding and coordination. In fact, the review claimed that, "there is evidence to suggest Canada's credibility in the region could decline" (Canadian Press, "Harper's Americas strategy falling short: internal review." Thursday, 17 March). In this context, Peter McKenna's anthology, Canada Looks South: In Search of an Americas Policy, is a timely intervention. Across 13 chapters, it maps and analyzes the past and present of Canadian foreign policy in the Americas. It considers the economic, political, cultural and military dimensions of Canada's hemispheric role, offers several country case studies, and concludes with policy recommendations for a "comprehensive Americas policy" (xvi). In doing so, it draws upon the expertise of academic researchers, policy analysts, and social movement activists with a range of theoretical frameworks and national backgrounds. The result is an engaging and highly informative anthology. The book proceeds from James Rochlin's observation that "changing hegemonic structures have largely shaped Canada's historical evolution in the Americas" (3). Before World War II, Canadian capital was invested across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), but Canadian foreign policy was constrained by its ties to London. During the Cold War, Canada practised a more independent foreign policy. It refrained from joining the US-dominated Organization of American States (OAS), identified social injustice as a key cause of regional conflicts, criticized US-backed dictators and maintained ties to Cuba. One major theme of the book is that, with the rise of neoliberalism, Canada's approach to LAC shifted. In 1990, Canada joined the OAS, out of which it pursued a robust democratization agenda. Across the decade, Canada was a leading advocate of neoliberal governance. As Canada's trade and investment ties expanded in the hemisphere, the state pursued a succession of economic treaties, including NAFTA and FTAA, to secure what Ricardo Grinspun and Jennifer Mills call "a legal regime of rights for investors" (62). In this context, Canada became increasingly involved in hemispheric security; it participated in U...