Why has Latin American regionalism repeatedly generated ambitious new organizations, yet struggled to produce deeper and more durable integration? And what do the evolution of the OAS, the rise and decline of post-hegemonic regionalism, and the persistence of U.S. influence tell us about the region’s political future?

🎙️ In this episode, Dr. Ivo Ganchev speaks with Prof. Thomas Legler (Universidad Iberoamericana), a leading scholar of Latin American regionalism, democracy promotion, and inter-American relations, to explore:

· How scholars have interpreted Latin American regionalism through the perspectives of optimists, skeptics, and innovators

· Why the concepts of post-hegemonic and post-liberal regionalism became influential, and whether they still help us understand the region today

· How U.S. influence in Latin America has changed, and why it is important to distinguish between hegemony and domination

· How the Organization of American States emerged from the long and often contradictory history of inter-American relations

· Why the OAS remains important despite chronic underfunding, political tensions, and repeated questions about its effectiveness

· How the OAS developed tools for democracy protection through what Prof. Legler describes as “intervention without intervening”

· Why Latin America has created so many overlapping regional organizations, from the OAS and MERCOSUR to UNASUR, ALBA, CELAC, the Pacific Alliance, and others

· Why Latin American regional cooperation entered a period of stagnation and fragmentation after the end of the commodity boom and the decline of the Pink Tide consensus

· How weak intra-regional trade, limited cross-border social ties, and elite-driven regionalism have constrained deeper region-building

· Why regionalism in Latin America has nevertheless remained persistent, even when particular organizations have declined or disappeared

· How education, professional mobility, tourism, migration, and stronger societal links could help build a more durable regional community

· Why presidential politics and personal relations among leaders continue to shape the success or failure of regional initiatives

· What current research on informal intergovernmental organizations and Chinese-financed infrastructure may reveal about the future of regional politics in Latin America

🎧 New Regional Orders is the official podcast of the Centre for Regional Integration, hosted by Dr. Ivo Ganchev. Each season focuses on a different world region, unpacking the political, economic, social, and institutional forces that shape regional change.

🔗 Learn More:

Centre for Regional Integration: https://regionalintegration.org

Dr. Ivo Ganchev: https://ivoganchev.com

Prof. Thomas Legler: https://unu.edu/cris/about/expert/thomas-legler