On (the lack of) Latin American supranationalism

ABSTRACT

This commentary discusses the state of supranationalism in Latin America. We will enumerate the numerous regional organizations in the Western Hemisphere, and also discuss their successes and failures at regional integration. While integration has had some successes, supranationalism has yet to flourish among Latin American states and it will probably not for the immediate future. Empirical evidence suggests that, while inter-state warfare is scarce in the region, there are still too many inter-state tensions, including ongoing border disputes, as well as occasional incidents, which prevent supranationalism from taking hold. This explains the lack of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization-esque type South American bloc. Nevertheless, small-scale integration projects have been successful, like visa waivers systems, educational programs or defense-cooperation projects. Ultimately, in a changing global geopolitical system, the distrust for supranationalism remains the same in Latin America.

KEYWORDS:

• Latin America
• Caribbean
• supranationalism
• security
• integration
• geopolitics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez is an analyst who specializes on international security and geopolitical issues. He has written for numerous journals including Small Wars & Insurgencies, Globalizations, Perspectivas, The Polar Journal, among others. He has published two book chapters.

Notes

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2 Carlos Chirinos, ‘OEA anula suspencion de Cuba’, BBC Mundo, June 3, 2009, http://www.bbc.com/mundo/america_latina/2009/06/090603_1806_oea_cuba_acuerdo_mz.shtml (accessed July 24, 2016).

3 Citizens of the Andean Community member states vote for representatives to the Andean Parliament during their country’s general elections. See ‘Elecciones 2016: ¿Qué es el Parlamento Andino y para qué sirve?’ Peru 21, Politica, March 30, 2016, http://peru21.pe/politica/elecciones-2016-que-parlamento-andino-y-que-sirve-2242552 (accessed July 22, 2016). Also see ‘Plenaria,’ Parlamento Andino, http://www.parlamentoandino.org/index.php/acerca-de/organos/plenaria (accessed July 22, 2016). Each member state, including Chile, has five representatives to the AP.

4 Carlos Salinas, ‘Nicaragua pospone hasta el 2016 el inicio de las obras del Canal’, El Pais, Canal Interoceanico, November 25, 2015, http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2015/11/25/america/1448474280_607103.html (accessed July 25, 2016).

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6 ‘What Has Gone Wrong in Brazil?’, BBC, Latin America & Caribbean, May 31, 2016 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35810578 (accessed July 23, 2016).

7 Simon Romero, ‘With Brazil as Advocate, Venezuela Joins Trade Bloc’, The New York Times, Americas, July 31, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/world/americas/mercosur-trade-bloc-admits-venezuela-as-full-member.html?_r=0 (accessed July 20, 2016).

8 ‘La creación de la Celac es un hecho histórico sin precedentes en el hemisferio Americano,’ Correo del Orinoco, December 2, 2011, http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/nacionales/creacion-celac-es-un-hecho-historico-sin-precedentes-hemisferio-americano/ (accessed July 19, 2016) Also see: Luis Pino, ‘BRICS, ALBA-TCP, Unasur, CELAC y Petrocaribe: más que cariños, acción,’ Telesurs TV, Blog, comment posted June 29, 2016, http://www.telesurtv.net/bloggers/BRICS-ALBA-TCP-Unasur-CELAC-y-Petrocaribe-mas-que-carinos-accion-20160629-0006.html (accessed July 22, 2016).

9 Fredrik Soderbaum and Bjorn Hettne, ‘The Future of Regionalism: Old Divides, New Frontiers’, in Regionalization and Global Governance: The Taming of Globalization, ed. Andrew Cooper et al. (Routledge, December 2007).

10 ‘Relaciones Externas: Chile’, Comunidad Andina, http://www.comunidadandina.org/Seccion.aspx?id=110 (accessed July 25, 2016).

11 Associated Press, ‘Analisis AP: Venezuela deja la CAN en medio de incertidumbre’, El Tiempo, April 21, 2011, http://eltiempo.com.ve/venezuela/economia/analisis-ap-venezuela-deja-la-can-en-medio-de-incertidumbre/19268, (accessed July 24, 2016).

12 ‘Costa Rica rompe políticamente con SICA y suspende visas a cubanos’, La Nacion, Nacional, December 18, 2015, http://www.nacion.com/nacional/politica/Costa-Rica-politicamente-SICA-suspende_0_1531046999.html (accessed July 21, 2016).

13 ‘Collective defense, Article V’, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, March 22, 2016, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_110496.htm (accessed July 20, 2016).

14 Max Seitz, ‘Una Otan Sudamericana?’, BBC Mundo, May 23, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_7415000/7415118.stm (accessed July 24, 2016). Also see: Miguel Silva, ‘El Consejo de Defensa Sudamericano: ¿Una OTAN del Sur?’ Universidad Central, FJCS/Columna de Opinion, Enero 7, 2013, http://www.ucentral.cl/el-consejo-de-defensa-sudamericano-una-otan-del-sur/prontus_ucentral2012/2013-01-07/171045.html (accessed July 24, 2016).

15 ‘Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v Chile)’, International Court of Justice, Cases, http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&case=153 (accessed July 19, 2016). Also see: Carlos Corz, ‘La CIJ explica que los plazos fijados en el caso Silala fueron acordados por Bolivia y Chile’, La Razon, Nacional, July 15, 2016, http://www.la-razon.com/nacional/CIJ-Silala-acordados-Bolivia-Chile_0_2527547254.html (accessed July 19, 2016).

16 W. Alejandro Sanchez, ‘January 27, 2014: A Date with Destiny for Peru and Chile’, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Research, January 24, 2014, http://www.coha.org/january-27-2014-a-date-with-destiny-for-peru-and-chile/ (accessed July 25, 2016).

17 W. Alejandro Sanchez, ‘Whatever Happened to South America’s Splendid Little Wars?’, Small Wars & Insurgencies 22, no. 2 (2011): 322–51.

18 Gabriel Marcella, ‘War Without Borders: The Colombia-Ecuador Crisis of 2008’, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army, December 2008, http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB891.pdf (accessed July 26, 2016).

19 ‘Belize-Guatemala Border Tensions Rise over Shooting,’ BBC, April 22, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36114383 (accessed July 21, 2016). Also see ‘Militares de Belice matan a niño guatemalteco en un confuso incidente fronterizo,’ Univision, Ataques, April 22, 2016, http://www.univision.com/noticias/ataques/militares-de-belice-matan-a-nino-guatemalteco-en-un-confuso-incidente-fronterizo (accessed July 24, 2016).

20 While the two countries are members of similar blocs like the Pacific Alliance and UNASUR, and there is strong trade and movement of people between their borders, tensions occasionally occur, particularly over the aforementioned border issues or due to weapon sales by one nation, which raises concern on the other. See headlines like: ‘Tensión diplomática entre Chile y Perú por cuatro hectáreas,’ Perfil.com, Internacional, Disputa Fronteriza, November 5, 2015, http://www.perfil.com/internacional/Tension-diplomatica-entre-Chile-y-Peru-por-cuatro-hectareas-20151105-0069.html (accessed July 25, 2016). Also see: ‘Tensiones políticas entre Chile y Perú por acercamiento de Humala a Bolivia,’ Sputnik, America Latina, June 27, 2015, http://mundo.sputniknews.com/americalatina/20150627/1038743096.html (accessed July 25, 2016).

21 ‘Overview: Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean,’ NTI.org, May 13, 2016, http://www.nti.org/learn/treaties-and-regimes/agency-prohibition-nuclear-weapons-latin-america-and-caribbean-opanal/ (accessed October 8, 2016).

22 ‘Status del Tratado de Tlatelolco,’ OPANAL.org, No Date, http://www.opanal.org/status-del-tratado-de-tlatelolco/ (accessed October 8, 2016).

23 ‘Zona de Aplicacion,’ OPANAL.org, No date, http://www.opanal.org/zona-de-aplicacion/ (accessed October 8, 2016).

24 See: Monica Serrano, ‘Common Security In Latin America: The 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco’, University of London, Research Papers 30 (1992); Also see: John R. Redick, ‘The Tlatelolco Regime and Nonproliferation in Latin America’, International Organization 35, no. 1, Nuclear Proliferation: Breaking the Chain (Winter, 1981): 103–34.

25 ‘Maritime Dispute (Peru v Chile)’, International Court of Justice, Summary 2014/1, January 27, 2014, http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&case=137&code=pch&p3=5 (accessed July 21, 2016). Also see: ‘Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v Colombia)’, International Court of Justice, Summary 2012/5, November 19, 2012, http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&case=124&code=nicol&p3=5 (accessed July 19, 2016).

26 ‘Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar’, Comunidad Andina, http://www.comunidadandina.org/Seccion.aspx?id=53&tipo=SA (accessed July 19, 2016).

27 ‘México flexibiliza visa para países de la Alianza del Pacífico’, El Financiero, Mundo, May 17, 2016, http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/mundo/mexico-flexibiliza-visa-para-paises-de-la-alianza-del-pacifico.html (accessed July 21, 2016). Also see, ‘Abren fronteras de Alianza del Pacífico con eliminación de visas’, El Universal, Economica, May 24, 2013, http://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/economica/abren-fronteras-de-alianza-del-pacifico-con-eliminacion-de-visas-120641 (accessed July 25, 2016).

28 ‘Unasur evalúa proyectos conjuntos en aeronáutica militar’, TelesurTV, America Latina, April 21, 2015, http://www.telesurtv.net/news/Unasur-evalua-proyectos-conjuntos-en-aeronautica-militar-20150421-0023.html (accessed July 20, 2016). Also see: ‘Ecuador y Brasil crean un dron para los países de la Unasur’, RT, Actualidad, July 4, 2014, https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/view/132935-ecuador-brasil-dron-unasur-drone (accessed July 20, 2016).

29 Carlos Cue, ‘Mercosur impide la presidencia de Venezuela y amenaza con expulsarla’, El Pais, September 14, 2016, http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2016/09/14/argentina/1473818260_333167.html (accessed October 8, 2016). Also see: ‘Mercosur: Venezuela será suspendida el 1 de diciembre si no cumple con sus compromises’, BBC Mundo, September 14, 2016 http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-37358298 (accessed October 8, 2016).

30 Soderbaum and Hettne, ‘The Future of Regionalism’, 107.

31 See, for example, titles like: Jesus Armando Lopez Velarde, Union Europea e Integracion Latinoamericana, Camara de Diputados/Mexico, Maporrua: Mexico, 2014; Jaime Delgado Rojas, ‘La teoría de la supranacionalidad y la práctica latinoamericana’, 51–78, in Alfredo Guerra Borges, Fin de época: de la integración tradicional al regionalismo estratégico, Siglo XX Editores: Mexico; and Andres Malamud, ‘Jefes de Gobierno y Procesos de Integracion Regional: Las Experiencias de Europa y America Latina’, in Del regionalismo latinoamericano a la integración interregional, eds. Philippe de Lombaerde, Shigeru Kochi y José Briceño Ruiz (Spain: Fundación Carolina/Siglo XXI, 2008).

32 ‘Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle – A Road Map’, Regional Plan Prepared by El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, September 2014, http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=39224238 (accessed July 26, 2016).