A Bacia do Prata: Argentina e Uruguai face ao processo integracionista do Mercosul (2003-2015).

Abstract

This research has as theme regional integration and the history of International Relations in the Southern Cone using Mercosur and historical dimension as its object. The general objective is to develop a critical analysis of internal historical, economic and political factors in Argentina and Uruguay, which influenced the deepening of Mercosur, during the period 2003-2015. This time frame begins in the government of Néstor Kirchner in Argentina and ends in the José Mujica government in Uruguay. Throughout the research, a historiographical and analytical review was carried out, with the purpose of describing post-1945 Latin America and the scenario in which the creation of Mercosur took place; discuss the historical process that led to the rise of governments considered progressive in Argentina and Uruguay in the 2000s; to critically investigate the influence of Argentine and Uruguayan party political actors, during the period analyzed, for the deepening of the integrationist process. During the research, it was identified that the governments of Argentina and Uruguay, in the period analyzed, had Mercosur as the center of their international insertion strategy. During this period, there was a redirection of the bloc to other approaches besides the economic-commercial bias and the implementation of internal projects, which were analyzed in light of the governmental discourses of Argentina and Uruguay. However, the countries did not manage to create deeper cooperation ties that could have a more structural change in the integration process, and did not contribute to the bloc reaching its initial objective of becoming a common market.