In Review

Sendero Luminoso and the Threat of Narcoterrorism by Gabriela Tarazona- Sevillano with John B. Reuter, Center for Strategic and International Studies/ Praeger, 1990, 168 pp., $35 (cloth), $12.95 (paper). Every counterinsurgency war spawns its own academic cottage in- dustry. The war against Sendero is no exception. This concise account of Peru’s Maoist guerrillas is a fairly good example of U.S. “Senderology”: fac- tually accurate, heavy on the drug con- nection, geared to making the “Sen- dero threat” hit home in Washington. Violencia Politica en el Perti, 1980- 1988 (2 vols.), DESCO, 1989, 1077 pp. (available from DESCO, Le6n de la Fuente 110, Lima 17, Peru). The Centro de Estudios y Promoci6n del Desarrollo (DESCO) has emerged as the most reliable source of informa- tion and analysis of political violence in Peru. This exhaustive compendium includes data from various government ministries, the Peruvian Congress and DESCO itself; a detailed 300-page chronology; and essays by majorpoliti- cal, military and church leaders, as well as key editorials from the press. An invaluable reference work. Between Silver and Guano: Com- mercial Policy and the State in Post- Independence Peru by Paul Gootenburg, Princeton Univ., 1990, 234 pp., $39.00 (cloth). The consolidation of Liberal free- market elites in the nineteenth century was a difficult process. This scholarly look at the Peruvian case uses extensive and meticulous documentation to chal- lenge a key argument of dependency theory: that “autonomous” nationalist regimes would have been preferable to the export models that finally triumphed. Power and Popular Protest: Latin American Social Movements ed. by Susan Eckstein, Univ. of California Press, 1989, 342 pp., $13.95 (paper). Why do social revolts occur? What factors contribute to their success or failure? This collection often essays by historians, sociologists, political scien- tists, and anthropologists, examines protest movements ranging from Peru’s Shining Path to Christian base commu- nities in Brazil and Central America. Country- or movement-specific as well as comparative analyses illuminate the many cultural, political and economic criteria for explaining these movements’ emergence and outcome. Development Strategies as Ideology: Puerto Rico’s Export-Led Industri- alization Experience by Emilio Pan- tojas-Garcia, Lynne Reinner, 1990, 205 pp., $32.50 (cloth). Puerto Rico’s 1950s “Operation Bootstrap” was an early icon of the export-oriented development model now heralded by IMF technocrats the world over. This book places the Puerto Rican experience within the framework of a theoretical discussion of the vari- ous development models tried out in Latin America over the last four dec- ades, and offers a case study of the long-term impact of export promotion. Invasion: The American Destruction of the Noriega Regime in Panama by David S. Behar and Godfrey Harris, Americas Group, 1990, 1 4 4 pp., $29.95 (cloth). If you missed it on the nightly news, this photo book will give you a blow- by-blow look at the invasion of Pan- ama, from the bombing of Noriega’s headquarters (and the homes of 12,000 Panamanians) to the massive looting and destruction that followed. While there are plenty of photos of wealthy Panamanians sporting “Just Cause” T-shirts, the accompanying text con- cludes that the December 1989 inva- sion was designed more for domestic than Panamanian consumption. Panama: Made in the USA by John Weeks and Phil Gunson, Latin Amer- ica Bureau, 1990, 131 pp., $8.00 (paper). An accessible and useful account of Panamanian history and the roots of recent U.S. policy. This book takes us through the invasion and beyond, ex- amining current conditions in Panama. Of note are two appendices which look at U.S. violations of international law and compare the human rights records of the Noriega and Endara governments. After the Bombs by Arturo Arias (trans- lated by Asa Zatz), Curbstone Press, 1990, 221 pp., $10.95 (paper). There is a part of Guatemala that only fiction can capture. Guatemalan novelist Arturo Arias is well-acquainted with his country’s real–and sur- real-history. A lyrical account of the 1954 coup and its ongoing aftermath, After the Bombs is at once horrifying and humorous, ironic and insightful. Nicaragua: A Country Guide by Kent Norsworthy with Tom Barry, Inter- Hemispheric Resource Center, 1990, 219 pp., $9.95 (paper). One of a series of seven country reports on Central America, Belize and Panama. An overview of recent Nica- raguan history and the first book to ex- amine the performance of the Chamorro government during its initial 100 days in office. Chapters on politics, the mili- tary, the economy, society and the environment, and foreign influence make this a timely and useful resource. Caribbean Geopolitics: Toward Se- curity Through Peace? by Andres Serbin, Lynne Reinner, 1990, 129 pp., $25.00 (cloth). The Caribbean is a region with its own distinct geopolitical dynamics. This book examines the attempts at Caribbean integration, the arms race and militarization, and the often diffi- cult relations between Latin America and the English-speaking Caribbean nations. A final chapter looks at efforts to establish a de-nuclearized “peace zone” in the Caribbean. Knives and Angels: Women Writers in Latin America ed. by Susan Bass- nett, Zed Press, 1990, 202 pp., $49.95 (cloth), $15.00 (paper). Victoria Ocampo, Marfa Luisa Bumbal, Elena Poniatowska, and many others. These are Latin America’s fore- most women writers, whose works, of- ten little known in translation, are ana- lyzed in this volume. Eleven essays examine the major themes contempo- rary Latin American women writers have addressed and provide an excel- lent bibliography for further study.