Read the text below in order to answer questions 21
to 25:
Mercosur
Mercosur is by far the most successful in a
long history of attempts to promote economic
integration in South America. It was born out of an
early-Eighties process of détente between Brazil
and Argentina, which during the Seventies had
often suffered from strained relationships between
their respective military governments.
The trade between Mercosur countries and
the rest of the world grew 79% in the period 1990-
98, but over the same time trade between
Mercosur members jumped five-fold, from US$4.1
billion to US$21.4 billion.
Mercosur member countries have said they
plan to strengthen their regional pact as a
precursor to joining with other hemispheric
neighbors in creating a Free Trade Area of the
Americas- FTAA. Pact members have also
declared the intention of negotiating as a bloc with
the European Union.
According to the author, the relationships between Brazil and Argentina in the 70s were