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The history of integration and that of Latin America are inseparable. Stimulated by the failure of the initial fragmentation, apart from Brazil regional integration has been a series of failed attempts. The presence of the United States in the region introduces an additional complication. Indeed, the possibility of including or not including the United States is another alternative that has been added to the possibilities of national consolidation and regional integration (pan-Americanism vs. Latin-Americanism). Since the Second World War, the discussions have been refined and enriched by increasingly concrete experiences that have not, however, contributed in any significant way to regional integration on the continent. The end of the Cold War seems to have given a new vitality to both Latin-Americanism, with the creation of Mercosur, and to Pan-Americanism with the Initiative for the Americas and the Free Trade Area of the Americas launched by George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. While it is difficult to know whether the current experiments will be any more successful than previous ones, they nonetheless testify to the fact that, regardless of the historical, social, and economic conditions, Latin-American leaders continuously go back to work without respite on the unfinished project, thereby proving that it remains central to the political debate in the region.