NILAS Research Seminar - Andrés Rivarola
Seminar
Date: Friday 31 October 2025
Time: 14.00 – 15.30
Location: Library of the Nordic Institute of Latin American Studies (House B, Floor 5) & Zoom*
Regionalism and great powers: territory and political economy
The text presented at Nilas research seminar, is a chapter of the (forthcoming) Anthology, Handbook on Political Economy and Regionalism (José Briceño Ruiz and Andrés Rivarola Puntigliano), Elgar Handbooks. The relation of great powers and regionalism have gained actuality with what currently is referred to as the ‘trade war’ between the US and China, affecting economic and geopolitical relations across the global system. This takes place during a new period of transition when, with Antonio Gramsci’s famous words, the old order is dying and the new cannot be born yet. As in other periods of history, the ‘old world’ is now clinging to what it can maintain of its power, while the ‘new’ is pushing to breach the walls, and occupy the center. This implies an increased confrontation to occupy a leading position in the system, something often described in terms of a ‘return of the state’, a ‘return of geopolitics’, or, more recently, as ‘neo imperialism’. The systems are hierarchic, and the most relevant geopolitical units are ‘great powers’. Much have been written about ‘great powers’, but not much in terms of how they have related to regional integration. As addressed in this chapter, albeit regionalism could be regarded as a ‘geopolitics of the weak’, it has also been a ‘geopolitics of the strong’, that is, of great powers. When war is not an option, great powers may turn to regional integration as a form of controlling or expanding territory.
Andres Rivarola, Professor in Latin American Studies, NILAS.
The research seminar on Latin American studies is open to scholars interested in Latin American issues. It welcomes the presentation of papers from researchers and PhD students from different social science disciplines.
The seminar takes place on Fridays 14:00 – 15:30 every other week at the Library of the Nordic Institute of Latin American Studies (House B, Floor 5).
*For further information on the research seminar please contact: researchseminars.nilas@su.se.
Organizer of the seminar: Thaïs Machado Borges
Last updated: September 1, 2025
Source: Library of the NordicInstitute of Latin American Studies (House B, Floor 5) & Zoom*