In April in Havana, over a thousand people from across the hemisphere, including 70 people from the U.S., gathered to plot the next steps in the movement against corporate globalization. This was the Fourth Hemispheric Conference of the Struggle Against the Free Trade Area of the Americas the Cubans have hosted. During last year’s conference, activists mounted a political strategy that was ultimately successful – the deadline of January 1, 2005 passed by without inking the deal. This article looks at the political factors and strategies that led to the defeat of the Bush Administration’s primary economic objective in the hemisphere. The second of this series looks at where the hemispheric movement is now – and the seismic shifts that are currently taking place in Latin America. The third focuses in on one country – Venezuela – and highlights how the U.S. government’s attempts to isolate President Chávez are failing in the face of Venezuela’s leadership in regional integration.