Latin America and the West: Constructions and Deconstructions of the Concept

Abstract

The construction of the concept of Latin America has been through different processes regarding its structure and acceptance, from the colonial period to the automatic realignment to the United States, with rare exceptions, and a reorganization with the emergence of multilateralism and the multipolar world. The abstraction, hitherto almost an axiom in the subcontinent, that it is a western region, leads us to the elaboration of this article, which seeks to present Latin America’s post-western and de-westernized character in an environment of restructuration of its political economy, its actors, scenarios and, finally, theories. Thus, we present here a review of the state of the art political economy of Latin America and its perspectives in this shifting world, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.