The Politics of Regional Integration: The Central American Case. By James D. Cochrane. (New Orleans: Tulane University, 1969. Pp. 223. $4.00.)

At the turn of the 21st century, protectionist policies in Latin America were largely abandoned for an agenda that promoted free trade and regional integration. Central America especially experienced an increase in international, interstate, and intraregional economic integration through trade liberalization. In 2004, such integration was on the agenda of every Central American administration, the U.S. Congress, and Mexico. The Plan Puebla-Panama (PPP) and the Central America Integrated Electricity System (SIEPAC), in particular, aimed to facilitate the success of free trade by increasing energy production and transmission on a unifi ed regional power grid (Mesoamerica, 2011). Meanwhile, for the United States, a free trade agreement (FTA) with Central America would bring it a step closer to realizing a hemispheric trade bloc while securing market access for its products. Isthmus states considered the potential for a Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States, their largest trading partner, as an opportunity to enter the global market on a united front. A decade and a half on, CAFTA, PPP, and SIEPAC are interwoven, complimentary initiatives that exemplify a shift towards increased free trade and development throughout the region. As such, to understand one, the other must be examined.

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Preventing Violence Against Women: A Central American Case

Sanctions and Sanctuary ◽

10.4324/9780429305306-10 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 125-138

Author(s):

Virginia Kerns

Keyword(s):

Violence Against Women ◽

Central American ◽

American Case

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The Challenge for the Central American Integration System (SICA): The Withdrawal of Costa Rica During the Cuban Migrant Crisis 2015

Global Jurnal Politik Internasional ◽

10.7454/global.v22i1.482 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 125

Author(s):

Damaris Stein

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Central America ◽

Regional Integration ◽

National Level ◽

Central American ◽

Integration Process ◽

Integration System ◽

Historical Aspects ◽

Institutional Level ◽

Migration Crisis

Central America has the longest experience with regional integration efforts apart from Europe and regional integration was on its rise with the establishment of the Central American Integration System (SICA). However, the organisation has been struggling to move the integration process further; experiencing a climax of fragmentation when Costa Rica left SICA during the Cuban migration crisis in 2015. This article focuses on the factors which contributed to the withdrawal of Costa Rica by looking at: (1) the institutional level of SICA; (2) Costa Rica’s policies that have hindered Central American integration; and (3) Costa Rica’s main reasons for its non-integrationist actions. This article argues that the cause can be found at both the institutional level and the national level. It further shows that SICA failed at deepening its integration due to its supranational ambitions installed in its institutional framework. Moreover, through qualitative research methods, it has been found that Costa Rica’s foreign policy is characterised by defying SICA’s organisational bodies. This article concludes by proposing four major reasons to explain Costa Rica’s non-integrationist actions which can be subsumed under (1) historical aspects, (2) no trade benefits from its membership, (3) immigration issues and lastly, (4) the legitimacy problem of SICA.

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