Is a Latin American Union Possible?

[Doozer]

Hey everyone,

I've been pondering the idea of a single, massive super-state comprising all Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas, including (but not limited to) Mexico, Columbia and Argentina. As for a name to such an entity, I have chosen the Latin Union (LU). Such a union would boast a significant population and a robust combined GDP, potentially giving it the economic and political clout to sustain itself. But what would its capital be? Mexico City seems like a logical choice due to its size and central location, but Buenos Aires or a newly planned capital could also be contenders.

The LU would be incredibly culturally diverse, encompassing a rich tapestry of traditions, cuisines, and histories from each member country. While Spanish would be the official language, the LU would make concerted efforts to preserve and promote various indigenous languages and cultures, recognizing the importance of its diverse heritage. This cultural richness could be one of its greatest strengths, fostering a vibrant and dynamic society.

However, the path to forming such a union wouldn't be easy. Significant challenges like poverty, corruption, and political instability would need to be addressed. Yet, if these obstacles could be overcome, the Latin Union might emerge as a formidable global player. What do you think? Could this vision become a reality, and what other factors should we consider?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

[Powers]

https://futuretimeline.net/forum/viewto ... f=4&t=2312
Same points.

[Doozer]

^I just wanted to discuss something similar, just not on a global scale. The entire world breaking down literally all its borders seems like a stretch to me. If anything, it would make more sense for linguistically and culturally similar countries to try it out first.

[caltrek]

How can (Simon) Bolívar’s ideas shed light on the challenges of governance today... in Latin America?


In the case of Latin America, Bolívar’s vision for a hemispheric institution uniting all American republics highlights the present-day challenges facing the region. In 1826, Bolívar initiated the creation of the Panama Congress to act as a defensive alliance to preserve the nascent republics. However, differing national priorities scuttled the Congress before its first meeting. Today, the international project remains both a testament to political optimism and the intractable difficulties of international cooperation. The Panama Congress serves as an idealistic goal that institutions like the United Nations and Organization of American States attempt to enact to this day. Its failure is a reminder of the difficulties that abound in international cooperation when national interests clash as they do presently in the region with matters regarding migration, illicit drug trade, and international trade.

Source: https://kellogg.nd.edu/news/sim%C3%B3n- ... ublicanism

[erowind]

^I just wanted to discuss something similar, just not on a global scale. The entire world breaking down literally all its borders seems like a stretch to me. If anything, it would make more sense for linguistically and culturally similar countries to try it out first.

A Latin American Union is certainly possible. There's a political divide between UNASUR and PROSUR right now but if that divide didn't exist a Latin American union would have happened by now probably. I'm not saying this to argue politics, just stating what I see. Every few decades or so there's a wave of social unrest/protests in Latin America that leads to social democratic/democratic socialist governments being elected in many if not most South American countries. The last wave is what created UNASUR. If the US weren't meddling in South American politics that wave of social momentum would have solidified into a union in my opinion.

So I think the underlying culture of South America wants this and it will happen eventually regardless of foreign meddling. It's also possible that it takes the form of a liberal union like the EU, either way it's inevitable in the long term.

Looking at a map of customs unions in South America it's just a matter of connecting them now.

[firestar464]

EU-style unions are incentivized due to how the UNGA works

[funkervogt]

I think the political and moneyed elites in the existing countries of Latin America would not want such a union if it would hurt their own power and wealth. Average people would also find it distasteful given national, ethnic, and racial differences. For example, Argentines consider themselves to be whiter and better than their neighbors, so they wouldn't want to fuse countries with any of them.

Here's a paper, "Borders and Growth," that describes which country pairs would have mutual economic benefit from joining together. https://web.archive.org/web/20170813141 ... /w9223.pdf

In the Americas, the pairs are:
Argentina + Chile
Brazil + Bolivia
Brazil + Colombia
Brazil + Guyana
Brazil + Paraguay
Brazil + Peru
Canada + U.S.A
Colombia + Peru

Don't expect political union until you see some of those pairs first joining together into tight economic and military blocs where members share a currency and common trade policies, have free trade and free movement of people internally, and have standardized their militaries and formed defensive alliances with each other.

Europe shows what such a thing would look like, and you can see how hard it is for them to take the next step to total political union. I suspect the same would happen in Latin America if they ever got to that stage.

I think we'll have to wait until the era when AGI dominates Earth to see real changes to national borders. With humans no longer in charge, machines will be able to do what they want with the place. Anything from a single world government to a checkerboard of thousands of small countries whose borders are constantly changing is possible.

[firestar464]

The only thing that prevents a Canadian-American union is the fact that America keeps jumping down the shitter

[erowind]

I think the political and moneyed elites in the existing countries of Latin America would not want such a union if it would hurt their own power and wealth. Average people would also find it distasteful given national, ethnic, and racial differences. For example, Argentines consider themselves to be whiter and better than their neighbors, so they wouldn't want to fuse countries with any of them.

With all due respect this analysis isn't true. Citizens of the member countries of MERCOSUR, CAN, and CARICOM can all freely live and work within the countries within their respective blocs. Argentinians can freely live and work in Brazil and vice versa, who is and isn't the most "white" doesn't seem to be a factor there. These blocs already have economic integration with common external tariffs minus the common currency.

MERCOSUR itself has tariff free trade with every other country in South America except the The Guianas and Venezuela. There is a multi-decade trend towards deeper South American integration, it's likely we see these blocs merge at some point in this century.

South America shares a common Language barring Brazil, and a common cultural heritage alongside deepening and already advanced economic integration. It's not unlike Europe in the 1980s in terms how close the continent is to forming a common economic union.

[firestar464]

All they need to do is sort out political differences and they're all set imo