Techno-functionalism and the varieties of regional resilience in Latin America: comparing the Pacific Alliance and SICA

Parthenay K.; Castro-Silva J.; Nolte D. · Journal of International Relations and Development (2026) · DOI: 10.1057/s41268-026-00383-y

Resumen

Latin American regional organizations have in recent years confronted a wide range of multifaceted crises. While it might have been reasonable to anticipate the decline or even the disappearance of regional cooperation institutions, this outcome has not materialized. On the contrary, regional organizations on the continent continue to survive and, in some cases, to expand their activities: they develop and implement sectoral agendas, attract international funding, and at times maintain an active presence on the multilateral stage. These dynamics underscore the growing role of experts and bureaucratic networks in sustaining and adapting regional frameworks in the face of persistent challenges. How do transnational experts and bureaucratic networks contribute to the survival and continuity of regional organizations in adverse contexts? This article advances the argument that the development of techno-functional cooperation represents an alternative way of operating in Latin American regionalism, one that enhances the resilience of regional organizations. It situates this argument at the intersection of expert authority, the technocratic turn, and classical functionalist ideas within the debate on regionalism in Latin America. To address the research question, the article undertakes a comparative empirical analysis of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Pacific Alliance (PA). © Springer Nature Limited 2026.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú