Cancún: Globalisation under debate

This article offers a summary reflection on the recent (September 2003) WTO Summit held at Cancún, Mexico. It places the WTO issues in the context of the process of globalisation. The discussion has four main sections: The first surveys the Cancún meeting, its participants, orientations and main topics. The second covers the characteristics of the altermundista international movement, its composition, its denunciations, proposals and demands, and the failure of the Summit. The third section raises the possible consequences for Latin America, the problems and the forces at work. The final section gives a personal view of the outcomes of this event and expresses that it opened up some opportunities for hope.