regional associations & politics of cooperation

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 concernsFour 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 1847-March 1848)

Preoccupation with U.S. war against MexicoContinental Congress (Chile – 1856)

Concern with U.S. adventures in Central America

Second Lima Conference (November 1864-March 1865)

Concern over French intervention in Mexico

CONTEMPORARY INTEGRATION MOVEMENTS

Followed in the aftermath of World War IIEconomic efforts predominated

Desire to reduce the impact market fluctuations associated with free tradeUnited 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:SizeLevels of developmentRate of growth of different economiesLevel of development Rates of economic growth

Disparities exacerbated by national rivalries and competing ideologiesSub-regional associations predominated in practice

INTEGRATION IN THE CIRCUM-CARIBBEAN

Organization of Central American States (ODECA)

Founded in 1951Rendered 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) 1968Goal – 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 StatesU.S. invasion of Grenada (1983) deeply divided member statesDivisions have faded

LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL INTEGRATION: ALALC (LAFTA)

Treaty of Montevideo (1960) Market area included most of South America plus MexicoGoal – free trade area in which members eliminated tariffs of substantially all of their trade Conflict between the “big three” and everybody elseCeased to function by 1968

TRANSREGIONAL INTEGRATION: Andean Group (ANCOM)

Cartegena Agreement signed in May 1969Characteristics/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 downs1976 – Chile withdrew1981 – 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 1967Provisions (signatories pledge not to:)

Develop, test or import nuclear weaponsEstablish 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 thereinRatified 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 ratifiedArgentina – signed but not ratifiedCuba – 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 1991Rooted in Brazil-Argentina Program for Integration and Cooperation (1986)

Return of democracy to both countriesIncrease 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

UNASUR: Union of South American NationsUnión de Naciones Suramericanas

UNASUR THE SOUTH AMERICAN UNION OF NATIONS TREATY

Based on a shared historyInspired by the Cusco, Brasilia, and Cochabamba DeclarationsAffirm determination to build identityConvinced unity will solve shared problems of the regionCertain integration will strengthen the rule of lawConfirming 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 DialogueEradicate poverty and overcome inequalityUniversal literacy and access to educationSustainable energy integrationDevelopment of infrastructureFinancial IntegrationProtection of BiodiversityConsolidation of South American identitySocial Security and health services

Economic & Social Dimensions

Economic PowerCombination 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.

VenezuelaBrazilColombia

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 AmericaTouts creation of “peace bases” in Venezuela

counter to US military bases in Colombiafacilitate 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 statesVenezuela - using the UNASUR to counterbalance the US in South AmericaBrazil – views UNASUR as forum to increase its influence in South AmericaArgentina – check on Brazil Bolivia – UNASUR helps to guarantee its territorial integrity