By Dr Rubén Silié
For almost half a century, the subject of Latin American and Caribbean integration has been under discussion, and much has been said and done in favour of attaining this goal. Yet, we still cannot anticipate when the Americas will be integrated in the medium or long term. However, significant progress has been made in bringing together diverse social and economic players who are engaged in their own integration actions. Although these actions are not part of any scheme formally agreed between States, they point towards integration.
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| Dr Rubén Silié Valdez is the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. Feedback can be sent to: mail@acs-aec.org |
Major initiatives have been taken for achieving this goal, and we must recognise that we are not stuck in the same spot as in earlier years. It can also be said that there are now institutional mechanisms in place, some specialized in this area and others of a political nature, which will advance not only related ideas, but integration itself.
Among the players involved in integration, it is clear that governments must play a lead role, since they are responsible for setting public policy. In this sense, there are many sub-regional integration schemes now in operation, but in institutional terms, their levels of integration differ. There are also a number of Summits at which this issue is discussed, either sub-regionally or throughout the continent.
In our time, which is marked by globalisation, there are imperatives which force countries to find ways of integrating. It is increasingly true that the factors which affect or favour us must be linked to international considerations. National identities are also taking on a transnational aspect, because large percentages of countries' populations have migrated within or outside the region.
Who can deny that foreign investment has grown significantly? There might be countries where more investment is needed than what currently exists, but in each of these, this is a structural factor where trade and financial activity are concerned. It is easy to note that there is a large group of entrepreneurs who conduct many types of business with the Greater Caribbean, without any official connection.
This happens with commercial banks, household appliance distributors, food producers, tourist groups and hoteliers, airlines, construction companies, insurance companies, supermarket chains, fabric and garment manufacturers, consultants, etc.
When we speak of capital investment, there is a tendency to think about large multinational companies, since they can bring in large sums of money, given their size, but the everyday efforts made by investors are forgotten. Alejandro Porte and Luis Guarnizo call them the "capitalists of the tropics", referring to the immigrants who invest in their home countries to help set up small businesses, and who almost always informally generate more occupation than capital from big business.
These are all non government players who have some influence on actual integration. Their initiatives mobilize trade in the region before agreements are concluded and formalized. The list of players of this type who are seeking integration, could be extended to include other organizations, such as academic, professional, religious, sporting, artistic and other bodies.
The region's entrepreneurs are helping to advance the conclusion of formal agreements by States, and by taking action, they are helping to create an environment of integration. However, a certain reticence which ties us to the historical notion of a National State, makes it difficult for us to consolidate a single integration scheme in the region. This is why some persons understand that what is needed is greater political will on the part of States.
Cognizant of the fact that the region is seeking to follow a path of integration, it would be useful to deepen the dialogue surrounding the attainment of such an important objective for all the countries of the Greater Caribbean.
The views expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. |
