Bolivar's Impossible Dream

Bolivar's Impossible Dream: Latin American Trade Integration Organizations seeks to examine and explore four major Latin American trade integration organizations: the Andean Community, MERCOSUR, the Alianza Bolivariana de las Américas ("ALBA"), and the Unión Suramericana ("UNASUR"). All four of these organizations have either failed to thrive or, in the case of ALBA and UNASUR, become defunct. Bolivar's Impossible Dream seeks to determine the reasons for this failure, so it can serve as a roadmap for success for the Andean Community and MERCOSUR, as well as inform any future attempts to create regional economic organizations in Latin America.

Part I considers the context in which these organizations arose by examining a number of issues, including: (1) visions of modernity and hemispheric unity; (2) the connections between theories of economic integration and regional integration organizations; and (3) some of the principal theories relating to economic development and regional economic organizations.

Parts II, III, and IV will apply these concepts to the Andean Community, MERCOSUR, ALBA, and UNASUR. For each organization, the book explores their creation and stated mission, and analyzes their organizational structure, institutions and enforcement, and dispute resolution systems.