The periphery at the centre: an analysis of Latin American regionalism from the borders

Abstract

The article analyses the role of border in theories and policies of Latin American regionalism. It shows that neither the explanatory ‘waves’ of regionalism in studies of International Relations nor Latin American regional integration policies have addressed borders seriously. Accordingly, it argues for a view of border regions as key political and epistemological places for understanding spatial relations between state, region, and globalization. Though some academic and political initiatives have started to unpack the Cartesian reading of border in Latin American regionalism, the article argues that further steps can be taken by treating borders (peripheries) as epistemological centres.