Globalization “unrailed” and “disconcerted regionalism” in the Trump age

Abstract

The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the triumph of Donald Trump in the United States presidential elections are indicators of change in the international order. The criticisms of developed countries' societies towards "neoliberal globalization" constitute a central element of this process. In this context, Washington from the economic perspective decided to favor protectionism, reject and revise free trade agreements and to oppose the relocation of companies pressing for an insourcing process. These decisions impacted Latin American integration processes. Thus, the deterioration of the post-liberal regionalism,which began with the emergence of the Pacific Alliance in 2011, was followed by the euphoria of the new MERCOSUR governments to flex the agreement and work towards a free trade agreement with the European Union. However, both alternatives are currently facing the challenges of the new scenario. In this article, through the interaction between the concept of "misdirected globalization" and the characterization of Latin American regionalism as "bewildered", we analyze the impact of international changes on the current alternatives of regional integration.