The Melting of Regional Cooperation

This chapter examines the development of regional projects categorised as the second type (Cooperation), which have demonstrated a weaker capacity to withstand the stress factors of the Liquid Regionalism wave. While their creation was often tied to ideological cohesion among either left- or right-wing leadership in the region, these initiatives were inherently shaped by, or gravitated toward, a liquid logic. Their analysis sheds light on the detrimental effects of Liquid Regionalism on the longevity and stability of regionalist endeavours. We refer to these cases as melting projects because, although they were initially intended to foster regional integration—implying the establishment of more robust institutional frameworks—they failed to build institutional resilience. Over time, many of these initiatives have deformed significantly. By melting, we describe the process by which regional projects increasingly adopt liquid characteristics, leading to the erosion of their more solid institutional features. The chapter focuses on three cases of melting regional schemes in the Americas: ALBA, Unasur, and the Pacific Alliance. While ALBA and Unasur were products of the Post-liberal or Post-hegemonic Regionalism period, the Pacific Alliance represents a shift, seeking to reintroduce certain principles of Open Regionalism. Despite these differing origins, all three exemplify how Liquid Regionalism has undermined the institutional solidity and coherence of regionalist projects.