Bringing visibility to Latin American autonomists: a comparison between Jaguaribe and Puig

Abstract

Jaguaribe and Puig are two prominent International Relations theorists from the global South. Their works have become classics in Latin American studies and demonstrate a couple of different, dissident and dissonant voices from the so-called mainstream. Their contributions are the rationale behind autonomist foreign policies in Latin America, such as those that scholars envisioned during the progressive wave of left-wing governments; thus, they are essential to understanding the dynamics and debates that have taken place in the region for at least three decades. This research is guided by the questions of what are the primary theoretical categories and common characteristics of the selected concepts. By answering those, this article sheds light on the theoretical contributions of both avant-garde and pioneering authors, while also highlighting the marginalized and little-known voices in the field of study. I undertake a comparative study of the main conceptual categories that organize these autonomist proposals. The main conclusions are that autonomy is a process achieved through incremental steps; the rational behaviour of actors would be to increase their room for manoeuvre, based on internal and regional consensus to provide a sustainable framework. The article concludes by looking at examples of and clues for identifying autonomist foreign policies.