Brazil is considered a significant political and economic power in Latin America, and an emerging global leader. Brazil has long held the potential to become a world power, but its rise to prominence has been curtailed by setbacks, including 21 years of military rule, political instability, and uneven economic growth. This book analyses Brazil and its neighbours: Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect the region and relationship with the United States.