| In South American integration literature there exists a | | | | Argentina from the signing ceremony in Cusco are |
| puzzling divide between primary government sources | | | | weak points. However, others are cautiously |
| and secondary analysis. On the one hand you have a | | | | optimistic, pointing out the numerous areas of shared |
| series of regional declarations signed by the 12 | | | | interests that the region could capitalize on in terms |
| presidents of South American nations stating their | | | | of integrated infrastructure and increased social |
| intent to form a new continental block and on the | | | | connectivity, etc. |
| other you have a public that remains largely | | | | Interestingly though, while critical opinion has focused |
| unconvinced and skeptical of the union's long-term | | | | on the feasibility of the union's success very few |
| chances of success. The fundamental question seems | | | | authors have questioned the fundamental idea itself, |
| to boil down to whether or not the nations of South | | | | i.e., whether it is a good idea to form a union in the |
| America can overcome their traditional conflicts to | | | | first place. In official documents the issue is |
| achieve the goals of the new union. | | | | presented as something akin to manifest destiny. |
| A review of the government generated literature on | | | | Eduardo Duhalde, former president of Argentina and |
| the subject is overwhelmingly positive while a similar | | | | Presidente de la Comission de Representantes |
| review of non-governmental literature is at best | | | | Permanentes del Mercosur, has said that Unasur is |
| neutral. Why is there such a difference between the | | | | the "dirección adoptado por la historia." Rafael |
| two observed positions? | | | | Bielsa, former Argentinean Minister of Foreign |
| It is our opinion that regional integration in South | | | | Relations called it the the unico porvenir |
| America is, at its most basic level, a reaction to the | | | | común possible." And Allan Wagner, |
| demands of the changing world order. It is a process | | | | Secretario General de la Comunidad Andina says that |
| remarkably similar to that proposed by early social | | | | "...la integración es un proceso historico. Todos |
| contract theories, like Thomas Hobbes', that contend | | | | nosotros somos de alguna manera actors |
| that the organization of men into larger groups is a | | | | circunstanciales de ese proceso." |
| rational response to outside threats. The decision to | | | | The philosophical underpinnings of this assumption, or |
| form these groups occurs when they realize that | | | | what we are calling South American manifest destiny, |
| they are stronger when they work together than | | | | follow the tenets of the theory of "New Regionalism" |
| when they operate separately. While the majority of | | | | or "second generation regionalism." This theory claims |
| the literature is skeptical of the success of this | | | | that greater regional integration helps individual nations |
| process, we believe that in one form or another, the | | | | meet the challenges of the multi-polar new world |
| forces of integration will be sufficient to overcome | | | | order. Regionalism studies focus on a middle layer of |
| the barriers of history. | | | | governance between the state and the global level |
| From a strictly political perspective, the Union of | | | | that emerges out of processes of regional integration |
| South American Nations (Unasur) already exists. In | | | | efforts. According to Langenhove, et al., "[New |
| 2004 the 12 presidents of South American nations | | | | Regionalism is] based on the idea that one cannot |
| signed the Cusco Declaration inaugurating the South | | | | isolate trade and economy from the rest of society..." |
| American Community of Nations (CSN) and in 2006 | | | | This stands in contrast to "Old Regionalism" or "first |
| they changed its name to Unasur. The union includes | | | | generation regionalism" which was primarily a process |
| all of the nations of the continent, has a combined | | | | of economic integration that took place during the |
| population of 377 million, an internal market (PIB) of | | | | bipolar years of the Cold War. The inclusion of social |
| US$1.5 trillion (1.5 billón), and a total area of | | | | justice issues in the new generation of regionalism is |
| 17.6 million sq/km. The area includes 27 percent of | | | | one of its great distinguishing characteristics and |
| the Earth's fresh water, 70 percent of its known | | | | seems to be the result of social distortions that have |
| copper reserves, enough oil and natural gas to last | | | | accompanied globalization. |
| the continent a century, the Amazon rain forest, the | | | | These challenges are an ever present part of the |
| pampas, the Andes, and the worst income disparity | | | | multilateral discussions between presidents and |
| on the planet. | | | | ministers in South America. While not always |
| Some of the broad goals of this new institution are | | | | evidenced by their personal behavior, there seems to |
| to coordinate political and diplomatic efforts to | | | | be a general consensus that the long-term strategic |
| increase international prestige, create a free trade | | | | interest of every nation in the region is to unite. This |
| area within Mercosur, the Andean Community (CAN), | | | | sentiment is expressed in declarations, essays, |
| Cile, Guyana, and Surinam, to physically integrate the | | | | opinions, and analysis. There seems to be no question |
| member nations through regional infrastructure | | | | that today's predominantly neoliberal system is |
| projects that will focus primarily on transport, energy, | | | | threatening the region's traditional social systems and |
| and telecommunications, and finally, to achieve closer | | | | the national government's ability to provide solutions |
| alignment of commercial and financial sectors to | | | | to these problems. To cite Langenhove again, "the |
| better optimize regional resources. | | | | paradox [of globalization] is that the ultimate policy |
| For a region plagued with internal conflict, weak | | | | authority of tackling global issues and problems still |
| national political institutions, and world's worst income | | | | belongs to States, while the origin of the problems |
| disparity, these goals seem ambitious. Various issues | | | | and solutions is located at trans-national level." As |
| like the region's historic conflicts and its inability to | | | | these trans-national problems have put increasing |
| agree on such issues as national borders, communal | | | | pressure on regional governments, States have |
| trade tariffs within the existing subregional blocks of | | | | turned to their neighbors to create the critical mass |
| Mercosur and CAN, as well as the absence of the | | | | they believe is necessary to meet these challenges, |
| presidents of Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador and | | | | giving rise to the events we are witnessing today. |