SAIS Review: "Kazakhstan's Green Strategy: Keeping the Steppe Green"

 "Kazakhstan's Green Strategy: Keeping the Steppe Green"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The SAIS Review of International Affairs

Plan(et) A: Addressing the Climate Crisis

Winter-Spring 2023, Vol. 43, Issue 1

P. 23-38

Journal: Brazil’s foreign policy and the eternal quest for Latin American integration

 "Brazil’s foreign policy and the eternal quest for Latin American integration"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

Cuadernos Iberoamericanos

Vol. 8, No. 3, 2020

Originally published: https://doi.org/10.46272/2409-3416-2020-8-3-10-23

Abstract

Brazil has historically been regarded as the natural leader of Latin America, given its level of development, the size of its economy, its military might and its ambitious foreign policy. This image was cemented during the presidencies of Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, who supported Latin American integration (particularly via the creation of such blocs as UNASUR and CELAC) and diminishing Washington’s historical influence in the Western Hemisphere. However, the situation has dramatically changed with the rise to power of President Jair Bolsonaro, a staunch supporter of the US in general (and President Donald Trump in particular), which has affected Brazil’s role in the region. Based upon the analysis of specific domestic and foreign policy components, the author draws conclusions on how Brazil’s prospects as a participant (or even the key motivator) in the transformation processes in the region have changed. Brazil is no longer perceived as the axis of attempts at regional integration, but rather “just another separate state” taking care of its own interests. Brazil’s economic crisis and Bolsonaro’s strategy (or the lack thereof) regarding the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively affected Brazil’s image even further. Then again, as this analysis seeks to demonstrate, Latin America has a mixed record when it comes to integration attempts, as regional governments are zealous guardians of national sovereignty. Hence, while there have been some successful regional thrivings towards promoting cooperation, the rise of some supranationalist organization similar to the European Union – is a dream. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as Latin American (and Caribbean) blocs do not need supranationalism to be effective, but it shows the limits of regional integration initiatives.

Keywords

Brazil, Latin America, Caribbean, South-South cooperation, geopolitics, supranationalism, integration

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For citation:

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Sánchez W.A. Brazil’s foreign policy and the eternal quest for Latin American integration. Cuadernos Iberoamericanos. 2020;8(3):10-23. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.46272/2409-3416-2020-8-3-10-23

 

Journal Essay: The Polar Journal: An overview of Colombia’s Antarctic programme

"An overview of Colombia’s Antarctic programme"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
The Polar Journal
Opinion
Published Online: 28 November 2018

(Please contact me if you'd like a free PDF copy: 
 wilder.a.sanchez at gmaill.com)

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an overview of the history and growth of Colombia’s Antarctic programme and how it has rapidly progressed in recent years. The country carried out its first Antarctic expedition with a domestically manufactured vessel during the 2014–2015 austral summer. Annual expeditions have continued since then, and in early 2018 the government announced its intention to acquire a new vessel and establish a seasonal base by 2025 at the latest in a location yet to be determined. This rapid succession of achievements demonstrates Colombia’s seriousness about its Antarctic programme. Nevertheless, a major challenge will be to secure funding for its Antarctic programme, thus 2018 will be a critical year as the country will hold general elections, and it will be imperative for the next administration to consider the programme a priority in order to maintain its momentum. It is important to understand the intention and objectives of non-claimant nations with growing Antarctic programmes and for the international community to harness this interest so that they can carry out meaningful contributions in order to protect Antarctica.

KEYWORDS: Colombia, navy, Antarctica, Latin America, 20 de Julio

Journal: On (the lack of) Latin American supranationalism

"On (the lack of) Latin American supranationalism"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Global Change, Peace and Security
 Volume 29, 2017 - Issue 2
P. 179-187
Published Online 28 February 2017

ABSTRACT

This commentary discusses the state of supranationalism in Latin America. We will enumerate the numerous regional organizations in the Western Hemisphere, and also discuss their successes and failures at regional integration. While integration has had some successes, supranationalism has yet to flourish among Latin American states and it will probably not for the immediate future. Empirical evidence suggests that, while inter-state warfare is scarce in the region, there are still too many inter-state tensions, including ongoing border disputes, as well as occasional incidents, which prevent supranationalism from taking hold. This explains the lack of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization-esque type South American bloc. Nevertheless, small-scale integration projects have been successful, like visa waivers systems, educational programs or defense-cooperation projects. Ultimately, in a changing global geopolitical system, the distrust for supranationalism remains the same in Latin America.

KEYWORDS: Latin America, Caribbean, supranationalism, security, integration, geopolitics

*Please contact the author for free a PDF copy

Journal: Can Governments Negotiate With Insurgents? The Latin American Experience

"Can Governments Negotiate With Insurgents? The Latin American Experience"
W. Alejandro Sanchez and Erica Illingworth
Small Wars & Insurgencies
Volume 28, 2017 - Issue 6 - P. 1014-1036
Originally Published: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09592318.2017.1374607

Please contact me if you would like a free eprint of this essay.

Abstract

In June 2016, the Colombian Government and the FARC insurgent movement signed a ceasefire agreement, which brings the two sides one step closer to putting an end to over five decades of war. Unfortunately, Latin America has a rich history of insurgent movements, particularly during the cold war era, some of which continue to operate today. Most of these movements disappeared due to military operations, though some did so via peace negotiations. This essay aims to discuss the various ends of Latin American insurgencies to answer whether, indeed, insurgents can be negotiated with.

Keywords: Latin America, insurgency, terrorism, internal conflict, cold war, FARC, ELN, Shining Path, conflict resolution, hurting stalemate

Journal: Argentina, Chile and the Joint Antarctic Naval Patrol: a successful confidence building mechanism

"Argentina, Chile and the Joint Antarctic Naval Patrol: a successful confidence building mechanism"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
The Polar Journal
Published online: 11 April, 2017
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2154896X.2017.1310488

Abstract

Established in the late 1990s, the Joint Antarctic Naval Patrol (PANC) is a defence initiative that brings together naval platforms from Argentina and Chile to monitor Antarctic waters and territory. After almost 20 annual campaigns, Patrol vessels have helped numerous vessels in need, as well as having carried out an emergency extraction from a Brazilian base in 2012. The success of the PANC is even more commendable given the occasionally tense relations between Argentina and Chile, which include overlapping Antarctic claims. The PANC is likely to continue operating for the immediate future particularly since climate change, which translates into a longer Antarctic summer, and greater maritime traffic has already prompted recent campaigns to extend operations for an additional two weeks. Nevertheless, one factor that hinders the Patrol and its capabilities is that it is made up of a few ageing vessels, and neither Argentina nor Chile have recently obtained modern platforms for Antarctic operations. In spite of this limitation, the activities carried out by these two navies make the PANC an example of how military cooperation to protect the Antarctic and human activities there is possible.

Keywords: Argentina, Chile, Navy, confidence building mechanism, Antarctica, military

Journal - Book Review: Russia, the Near Abroad, and the West: Lessons from the Moldova-Transdniestria Conflict,

Russia, The Near Abroad and the Moldova-Transdniestria Conflict - By William H. Hill
Book Review by W. Alejandro Sanchez
Journal of Slavic Military Studies
Volume 28, Issue 2. 2015
P. 439-441

Available: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13518046.2015.1030285