Paradoxes of paradiplomacy and political regimes, a perspective from border cities in the southern Andes

Palacios R.J. · Desde el Sur (2026) · DOI: 10.21142/des-1802-2026-e0046

Resumen

This article analyzes the possibilities of political agency among local organizations—neighborhood councils and cross-border transport unions—in border cities of the southern Andes (Bolivia, Peru, and Chile), using a comparative qualitative approach. We examine how organizational trajectories, territorial embeddedness, and forms of interaction with the state shape differentiated opportunities for participation and influence within Border Political Regimes (RPF). In contrast to literature that portrays civil society as a homogeneous and integrated actor, this study reveals a diversity of fragmented, situated, and at times contradictory organizational forms. Although these organizations possess territorial legitimacy, they face significant structural limitations in influencing decision-making processes and are often recognized only in moments of crisis or conflict. Consequently, the article argues that RPFs tend to reproduce centralist and exclusionary logics, ultimately undermining political representation rooted in the situated nature of border territories.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada de Tacna