This book is about a young's man view of Latin America. Luis Gutierrez-Santos, after terminating his B.A. in Economics at the School of Economics at the National University of Mexico, sets up to write his “Tesis de Licenciatura”. Once concluded, his high school teacher (Preparatoria) of public speaking, José Muñoz Cota, pushed him to review and publish it through his editor B. Costa-Amic. The first edition consisted of 1,500 books.
The book covers all the social, economic and political aspects that structurally determine the underdevelopment conditions of the countries in the region, as viewed in the 1960’s, one year after the 1968 student revolt in Mexico that culminated with the Tlaltelolco massacre. It is not a scholarly treaty of Latin-American development; it is a bird-eye view of what is happening in the region, the global and regional conflicts and contradictions that hampers economic development and democracy, as discussed in the news of the day.
There are three parts to the book. The first one covers the economic aspects of Latin America, from the conditions of underdevelopment, to agrarian reform and capital formation. The second part examines trade and integration issues, from international cooperation to economic aid. The third and final part discusses the political aspects which hamper productive and distribution efficiency: Neocolonialism, United States policies toward the region, dictatorships, the socialist trends, military expenditures and so on.