Download How US Latin American Policy is Made

REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS &
POLITICS of COOPERATION
Latin America
EARLY MOVEMENT FOR A SPANISH
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
Breakup of four vice-royalties of
Spanish American empire into eighteen
separate states
Desire of the eighteen for self identity
tempered by security concerns
Four congresses held between 1826
and 1865
Early Spanish American Congresses
and Conferences
Congress of Panama (June/July 1826)
Treat from Holy Roman Empire
First Lima Congress of Lima (December 1847March 1848)
Preoccupation with U.S. war against Mexico
Continental Congress (Chile – 1856)
Concern with U.S. adventures in Central America
Second Lima Conference (November 1864March 1865)
Concern over French intervention in Mexico
CONTEMPORARY
INTEGRATION MOVEMENTS
Followed in the aftermath of World War II
Economic efforts predominated
Desire to reduce the impact market fluctuations
associated with free trade
United Nations ECLA – central institution pushing
Latin American Free Trade Association
Successes of European integration reinforced
desire for regional economic integration
CONTEMPORARY INTEGRATION
MOVEMENTS : Problems
Wide disparities in:
Size
Levels of development
Rate of growth of different economies
Level of development
Rates of economic growth
Disparities exacerbated by national rivalries
and competing ideologies
Sub-regional associations predominated in
practice
INTEGRATION IN THE CIRCUMCARIBBEAN
Organization of Central American States
(ODECA)
Founded in 1951
Rendered moribund by intra-regional Central
American conflicts after 1979
Central American Common Market (fate
similar to ODECA)
1991 Central American Integration System
Revived integration efforts in wake of regional
peace process
CARIBBEAN INTEGRATION
Caribbean Free Trade
Association (CARIFTA)
1968
Goal – free trade to
eliminate tariffs and
quota’s on each other’s
goods
15 Full members & 5
Associate members
Map of CARICOM with full members states
highlighted in green, associate members in lime
green, and observers in pistachio
ORGANIZATION OF EASTERN
CARIBBEAN STATES
Seven small Commonwealth Caribbean
Island States
U.S. invasion of Grenada (1983) deeply
divided member states
Divisions have faded
LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL
INTEGRATION: ALALC (LAFTA)
Treaty of Montevideo (1960)
Market area included most of South America
plus Mexico
Goal – free trade area in which members
eliminated tariffs of substantially all of their
trade
Conflict between the “big three” and
everybody else
Ceased to function by 1968
TRANSREGIONAL INTEGRATION:
Andean Group (ANCOM)
Cartegena Agreement signed in May
1969
Characteristics/goals
Eliminate all trade barriers
Supreme Organ: Mixed Commission of
ambassadorial representatives
Decision 24 – statue attempting to control
foreign investment
TRANSREGIONAL INTEGRATION:
Andean Group (ANCOM)
Ups and downs
1976 – Chile withdrew
1981 – fighting on border between
Ecuador and Peru
Revival in 1990’s
TLATELOCO TREATY (Treaty
for the prohibition of nuclear
weapons in Latin America)
Mexican initiative signed in 1967
Provisions (signatories pledge not to:)
Develop, test or import nuclear weapons
Establish safeguards in conjunction with
International Atomic Energy Agency
TLATELOCO TREATY (Treaty
for the prohibition of nuclear
weapons in Latin America)
Protocol #1
Countries with territories in L.A will not introduce
nuclear weapons therein
Ratified by all relevant parties except USA, France
Protocol #2
pledges countries already possessing nuclear
weapons not to use them or threaten to use them
against signatories to the treaty
Resistance to Participation in Tlateloco
by Latin American States
Brazil and Chile – ratified with
reservation that it does not take force
until all relevant parties have ratified
Argentina – signed but not ratified
Cuba – totally outside of Tlateloco
GAP IN TLATELOCO REGIME
Does not unambiguously forbid peaceful
nuclear explosions (PNE)
If a state has PNE there are procedures
for monitoring
Brazilian Ambiguity Toward
Nuclear Technology
Historic Brazilian rivalry with Argentina
included a nuclear dimension in the 1970’s
Abandoned with the emergence of democratic
governments in both countries
2003 - Minister of Mines of the LULA
government publicly affirms the right of Brazil
to retain nuclear technology of all types
Continental ECONOMIC
INTEGRATION: MERCOSUR
Created in 1991
Rooted in BrazilArgentina Program
for Integration and
Cooperation (1986)
Return of democracy
to both countries
Increase capability to
compete with NAFTA
Uruguay and
Paraguay added
Headquarters: in the city of
Montevideo Uruguay
MERCOSUR/MERCOSUL
Success during
the 1990’s but
ended up
favoring Brazil
Treaded water
during Argentine
economic crisis
of 2001/02
Importance
increased after
2008
MERCOSUR (member states
Map doesn't highlight Venezuela (full
member pending on Paraguay's ratification).
UNASUR: Union of South American Nations
Unión de Naciones Suramericanas
UNASUR
THE SOUTH AMERICAN UNION OF NATIONS TREATY
Based on a shared history
Inspired by the Cusco,
Brasilia, and Cochabamba
Declarations
Affirm determination to build
identity
Convinced unity will solve
shared problems of the region
Certain integration will
strengthen the rule of law
Confirming unlimited respect
and indivisible human rights
Chavez signing the UNASUR Treaty
Objectives of UNASUR
“Build integration and union in order to strengthen democracy”
Strengthen Political Dialogue
Eradicate poverty and
overcome inequality
Universal literacy and access
to education
Sustainable energy
integration
Development of infrastructure
Financial Integration
Protection of Biodiversity
Consolidation of South
American identity
Social Security and health
services
Economic & Social Dimensions
Economic Power
Combination of countries’ GDPs
would reach more than $2.3
trillion: 7th in the world.
Immigration policy and free
movement of peoples (wave
visa requirements)
Greater recognition of
indigenous peoples
Multinational infrastructure
projects.
Institutions
The Bodies of UNASUR are:
1. The Council of Heads of
State and Government
2. The Council of Ministers
of Foreign Affairs
3. The Council of
Delegates
4. The General Secretariat
UNASUR meeting
---------------------------------------------------------------Chavez hands Obama "The Open Veins of Latin
America“ at an OAS meeting
Basically….
“RATIFYING that fully functioning
democratic institutions and the
unrestricted respect for human
rights are essential conditions for
building a common future of peace,
economic and social prosperity and
for the development of integration
processes among the Member
States” – The South American Union of Nations Treaty
UNASUR goals for the Future
• Use culture as an
expression to unify
the region’s peoples.
• Establish a common
identity.
• Overcome ideological
obstacles.
• Employment of
knowledge, science,
and technology.
Keys for UNASUR’s Potential
Influence
Success depends
upon the shared
interests of its
members.
Some nations have
a greater stake in
UNASUR than
others.
Venezuela
Brazil
Colombia
Freedom of the Press??
Organizational
Commitment: “defend
the rights of
democratically elected
governments against
media abuses”
Nevertheless,
concerns about
suppression of the
press
Issue of US bases in Colombia
Colombian special forces raid guerrilla base in
Ecuador (2009)
Strains relations with Ecuador and Venezuela
U.S. –with its bases in Colombia – viewed as instigator
Chavez uses UNASUR as a platform to attack
the bases and US presence in South America
Touts creation of “peace bases” in Venezuela
counter to US military bases in Colombia
facilitate peaceful talk between Colombians and
Venezuelans
Santos less hostile to Venezuela than his
predecessor
UNASUR & National Interests
Colombia – fears being isolated from
other South American states
Venezuela - using the UNASUR to
counterbalance the US in South America
Brazil – views UNASUR as forum to
increase its influence in South America
Argentina – check on Brazil
Bolivia – UNASUR helps to guarantee its
territorial integrity