Latin America as a Multistate Region

Abstract

This chapter discusses ongoing debates about the conceptual constructs used to approach Latin America. While recognizing it as a region of multiple nation-states, each with its own unique historical and political backgrounds, this opening chapter stresses the relevance of considering the entwined histories and transnational connections of the region. The process of state construction left a legacy of cross-border networks and a protracted involvement in the affairs of neighboring states. With porous borders and a series of diasporas, migrations, and relocations, all the while facing similar challenges of postcolonial development, Latin America experienced a profound spillover of people and ideas. Repeatedly, transnational dynamics operated within national contexts. Moreover, the region has long witnessed cross-border movements and struggles, prompting international agreements on issues of common concern, including human rights, working out regional mechanisms even before those principles reached a global scale. The chapter suggests that adding transnational analysis provides deeper understanding of the region’s political, cultural, and social dynamics.