Uruguay como estado pequeño en el mercosur (1991-2020): Una lectura desde la autonomía regional

Abstract

This paper characterizes the different stages of Uruguay’s foreign policy towards Mercosur (1991-2021), with a historical perspective. It dialogues theoretically with the autonomy paradigm and argues that during the leftist governments autonomy became an objective, with a particular meaning, linked to the characteristics of a small state. The search for autonomy was possible in the context of a progressive cycle and the capacity for collective action. In that period, unlike the others, the ruling elites shared one objective: to enhance agency in a collective way. As a conclusion, we present a concept of regional autonomy that proposes the co-constitutional character of autonomy and regional integration, thought of from the Uruguayan case as a small State.