note - formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established in December 1986
established - NA 1988
aim - a consultation mechanism on regional Latin American issues
members - (11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru (suspended), Uruguay, Venezuela; note-Panama was expelled in 1988; Peru was suspended after April 1992 coup
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Second World
another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; the term is fading from use; see centrally planned economies
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socialist countries in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use of the major factors of production; note - the term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for Communist countries
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