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The article presents a study which shows that by using Brazil and Mexico, the extent to which nation states geopolitical and geo-economic interests can form the national position in relation to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). According to the author, liberal intergovernmentalism involves the analysis of economic integration as part of the International Political Economy. It cites that liberal intergovernmentalism emphasizes the role of national entrepreneurs, who are seen as a vital non-state actor in the formation of national preferences.

The Western Hemisphere is experiencing a new wave of economic regionalism since the beginning of the 1990s. After a brief account of the theories of political integration, liberal intergovernmentalist approach due to Andrew Moravsick (1994) is used to explore the reasons that led the United States to propose the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas. As applied to explain the development of European Union, Moravcsik argues that integration is the result of the interaction of nation states and economic actors. They are the key actors in the process of formation of national preferences in which integration policy is designed. We argue in this paper that Moravcsik ideas could help understanding the new regionalism in the Caribbean Basin. This notwithstanding, we criticise the narrow definition of non-state actors proposed by Moravcsik. By limiting the analysis to action of business associations, Moravcsik does not consider the increasing participation of civil society in the process of regional integration. The recent evolution of regionalism in the Caribbean confirms this deficiency of liberal intergovermentalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the new emerging regionalism in South America and its formal institutionalization, the South American Community of Nations (SACN). It argues that the SACN is a Brazilian-led process, the utmost objective of which is the creation of a counterbalance to U.S. hegemony in the region and in particular to the proposal of establishing a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The paper first examines the reasons behind the Brazilian government's promotion of the SACN. The next sections discuss the proposals from countries of the Andean Community, the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) and Chile. The conclusion analyzes the SACN's prospects for survival and the impact of the new South American regionalism on the future of hemispheric integration after the demise of the FTAA. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise to power of Hugo Chavez Frias in Venezuela has produced a tremor in the political structure of this country, with internal and external repercussions of great significance. This paper examines the external dimension of the recent Venezuelan political process and its impact on Venezuela's regional and hemispheric economic integration policy. In particular, the paper evaluates the Chavez strategy of rejecting the U.S. proposal to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the extent to which this strategy has affected Venezuela's relations with the United States. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the new patterns in the European Union (EU)-Andean Community relationship. It is argued that the EU has been developing a strategic regionalism, the utmost objective that aims to avoid that those European interests be displaced by the economic those of the US in the eventual setting up of a FTAA. Likewise, the paper explores the future trends of the regional integration in the Andean area and the obstacles derived from the weakness of the nation-states in the region. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]