In 1847, war broke out between the United States and the young Mexican republic, a conflict that saw Mexico lose half of its territory to its northern neighbor. By examining this painful history, the author invites readers to reflect on current day struggles of the peoples of Latin America against US imperialist domination. GILBERTO LÓPEZ Y RIVAS  is a leading Mexican academic and a prominent spokesperson for social movements in Latin America. He is a regular contributor to the Mexican daily La Jornada and has numerous books published in Spain and Latin America.