The Integration Latin America Already Has

Montevideo holds a singular place in Latin America’s integration story. More than four decades ago, the region’s countries built an architecture that recognized a lasting reality: Latin America shares interests and aspirations, but its economies differ in size, productive structure and level of development.

That architecture came back into focus on Sept. 2, when representatives of the 13 members of the Latin American Integration Association, or ALADI, met in Montevideo for the 20th meeting of its Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. They adopted important institutional decisions, agreed on guidelines for the association’s future work and unanimously appointed Bolivian Adhemar Guzmán Ballivián as ALADI’s next secretary-general.

But the meeting deserves to be read as more than a record of decisions. The international environment has changed sharply. Supply chains are being reorganized, geopolitical considerations increasingly shape economic and trade decisions, and new technological and environmental requirements are emerging. At the same time, competition for markets, investment and productive capabilities is intensifying.

Latin America does not need to restart the debate over integration, the article argues. It already has institutions, agreements, negotiating experience and a substantial legal heritage. The challenge is to make better use of what has been built. The 1980 Treaty of Montevideo did not impose a uniform structure or require all members to move at the same speed. It chose pluralism, convergence, flexibility, differential treatment and multiple instruments.

That flexibility allowed countries with different economic orientations to continue meeting within the same institutional framework. In today’s environment, the article presents it not as a weakness but as one of ALADI’s greatest advantages. The task now is to connect that legal heritage with current economic needs. Trade preferences matter, but businesses also need faster customs procedures, interoperable documents, clearer rules and lower logistics costs. Digitalization can help smaller companies prove the origin of their products, complete procedures without unnecessary travel and understand the requirements for entering another regional market.