Competing Latin American Regionalisms in a changing world

Collective ambitions in Latin America (LA) go hand in hand with the processes of independence and the creation of States. Since the 19th century, the continent has experienced wave after wave of different types of regionalism: the ‘Bolivarian’ joint project, ‘introverted’ regional associations and ‘open’ regionalism. LA’s ‘left-turn’ has given rise to a new wave of regional projects. Described by some as post-liberal, these projects have also seen changes. Shared ambitions have therefore continued to be at the heart of the political debate of LA decision-makers.
Nonetheless, while LA regionalism is a constant over time, it is still a work-in-progress. Its nature keeps evolving, based on changes in the domestic and international political context. As a political phenomenon, regionalism covers a dynamic and shifting reality. This reality can move forward, slow down or move backwards, as this comparative analysis of LA regional organisations (ROs) shows. These changes can also be the result of competition between these projects.
We will also see that, while regionalisms are the result of a political will of their own, they can also be fashioned by external actors’ strategies. The US’s penchant for bilateralism and the EU’s role as an active promoter of international regionalism all affect these collective LA projects. Thus, this paper does not just aim to study regionalism in a comparative way but also to situate it in its links with international relations (IR).
The article is structured in three parts. The first aims to study the structural nature of regionalism in LA. To do so, a comparative analysis of the different regional initiatives is suggested, plus a look at the impact from outside factors and actors. This approach will also allow us to bring out the similarities and differences between the different waves of regionalism, to understand what has been achieved and the lessons learnt from old projects in order to better grasp the specificity and nature of current regional initiatives. Our last point will focus on the implications of LA and global geopolitical changes for the new regionalism in LA.