Is a new power bloc taking shape in the Americas that could challenge the hegemony of the US?

Brazil is leading the rise of Latin America, traditionally considered the backyard of the US.

Other nations in region - under Washington's shadow for decades - are also emerging in their own right and their growing confidence is the result of sustained economic growth and political reform.

A few years ago, they formed the Union of South American Nations as a counterweight to the US.

On Thursday's Riz Khan we ask: Are Latin American nations ready to exert their influence on the world stage and what impact could this have on the US?

Joining the show will be Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, a professor of international law and international affairs at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is also the author of the book: What if Latin America Ruled the World?: How the South Will Take the North into the 22nd Century.

You can join the conversation. Call in with your questions and comments on Thursday, July 29, at our live time of 1630GMT. Repeats air at 2130GMT, and the next day at 0230GMT and 1130GMT.