This chapter explores the evolution of autonomy thinking, as well as identifying the ways in which distinct political, economic and intellectual factors have influenced this process. Regional integration was the main foreign policy application of this intellectual and practical approach to development. The Treaty of Montevideo and the Treaty of Tegucigalpa, that established the Latin American Free Trade Association (ALALC) and the Central American Common Market (MCCA), respectively, were both signed in 1960, and in each, Economic Commission on Latin America (ECLA) and associated local technical elites played key roles. The kind of dependence that emerged between the 1940s and 1960s within the context of increased industrialization, economic growth and foreign investment grabbed the attention of many dependency scholars in particular. A key concern aired from the onset within the International Relations (IR) community was related to the problem of autonomy.