UNASUR, Rise and Decline of an Integrative Commitment

Abstract

The objective of the work is to examine the rise and decline of UNASUR, based on its participation in regional political conflicts, distinguishing the stages that the organization went through, depending on the changes imposed by regional political dynamics. As a UNASUR bloc, it brings together for the first time the 12 South American nations, trying to achieve better international insertion, giving centrality to the State, in what has been called post-hegemonic regionalism. Through a qualitative design that includes semi-structured interviews, its rise and decline are discussed, considering the search for information in primary and secondary sources, in the latter through a systematic review of literature for the period 2008-2022. The work is divided into seven parts: first, it exposes theoretical considerations about South American regionalism and Brazilian interests; second, it mentions aspects about the Community of South American Nations as a precedent for UNASUR; third, it addresses elements of the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty; fourth, reviews the academic literature on the topic, establishing eight categories of approach; fifth, it summarizes the institutional performance of the organization and its participation in political crises, distinguishing three stages from 2008 to the present; sixth, it highlights evaluations offered by key informants; Seventh and last, it presents conclusions about the role of UNASUR.