Abstract
Regionalism in Latin America is a complex phenomenon. This chapter will argue that after a sequence of various waves of regionalization efforts, Latin-American regionalism has become multi-layered, multi-faceted and eclectic. It is characterized by a large set of different arrangements, both formal and informal in nature and structure, and various regimes and regional institutions currently coexist. It is the result of a large variety of different drivers and influential factors, both endogenous as well as exogenous which has resulted in what can best be labelled “the alphabet soup of Latin American regionalism”.
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- 1.
However, this is not only the Latin American case. Regionalism in Africa includes a myriad of economic and security organizations. There is not a single bloc in the whole Pacific Rim or in the whole Asian continent. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is being transformed by new initiatives such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that include China, Australia, New Zealand and India or the almost disappeared Transpacific Partnership (TPP). The idea of a single regional project that has widened and deepened has as empirical evidence just the European Union, that certainly became hegemonic in Western Europe, despite the existence of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) or the Council of Europe in the field of Human Rights.
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For a complete overview, start at the SICA (2017) “Homepage” [online] accessible at http://www.sica.int/
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Venezuela was temporarily suspended from MERCOSUR’s membership in December 2016 for failing to comply with membership requirements, in particular the incorporation of several Mercosur decisions and norms into Venezuelan legislation. In April 2017 the Mercosur Democratic Clause was activated due to the Venezuelan Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the powers of the National Assembly further limiting participation of Venezuela in the MERCOSUR system.
Further Readings
Malamud, A., & Gardini, G. L. (2012). Has regionalism peaked? The Latin American quagmire and its lessons. The International Spectator, 47(1), 116–133.
Nolte, D. (2014). Latin America’s new regional architecture: A cooperative or segmented regional governance complex? Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper, RSCAS 2014/89, 34p.
Vivares, E., & Dolcetti-Marcolini, M. (2016). Two regionalisms, two Latin Americas or beyond Latin America? Contributions from a critical and decolonial IPE. Third World Quarterly, 37(5), 866–882.
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Selleslaghs, J., Ruiz, J.B., de Lombaerde, P. (2020). Regionalism in Latin America: Eclectic, Multi-faceted and Multi-layered. In: Hosli, M.O., Selleslaghs, J. (eds) The Changing Global Order. United Nations University Series on Regionalism, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21603-0_12
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