International Agenda
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR: "NEW GEOPOLITICAL SCENARIOS IN LATIN AMERICA AND EUROPE" 18/4/2016
European democracies have long been observed from Latin America as benchmarks of stability and governance, as well as of integration. The current situation of the European Union, both considering the crisis of representation as well as the latent possibility of Great Britain’s exit from the bloc, poses new scenarios with the Latin American region. This meeting set out to reflect and discuss the political changes in Latin America and Europe that configure a new and particular way of conceiving geopolitics, placing special emphasis on the challenges and possibilities for democracy in the 21st century.
Democracies in Latin America and Europe are undergoing rapid transformation. It could be argued that, in the past, Latin American democracies have looked at themselves in the mirror of European democracies. A mirror that now projects a distorted picture, full of questions, tensions and even setbacks, which are a source of concern in the continent.
This is true not only from the point of view of democratic stability but also from that of integration. Indeed, the European integration model has long been observed from Latin America, with a greater or lesser intention of achieving the same in the region. And, furthermore, from this standpoint, we are faced with a complex scenario whose future is still uncertain.
It is in this context that 25 years have passed since the signing of the Treaty of Asunción, which led to the creation of Mercosur; an agreement that has passed through various stages and that today is facing the possibility of regaining some strength through the various political changes that the region and the world are experiencing.
On the other hand, Latin America –particularly the Southern Cone countries- face the challenge of finding common spaces and potential agreements that allow joining efforts in terms of regional integration not only between neighboring countries but also as a regional bloc towards the world. Therefore, it is of particular interest that agreements such as the Pacific Alliance and Mercosur can coexist, overcoming an intra-regional division.
