The mercantile dimension of international relations now has —in the midst of globalization— an unprecedented weight. For countries like ours, who have strongly committed to free trade and have identi?ed in it a path to full development, the economic component of diplomacy is critical.

 The dilemma between globalization or autarky, so in vogue in times of the Great Depression of 1929, seems to be—again—at the center of the debate. The unexpected events of 2020 threaten to inaugurate a new cycle of closure that, with a precise use of history, Gustavo Vega argues is not the solution to current world problems. He further explains the importance of the successful renegotiation of the North American trade agreement, especially for the difficult times ahead.