Andean Journal of Political Studies

Prólogo: Nuevas Perspectivas en Política Exterior

Anthony Medina RivasPlata — 2025-03-05

El presente dossier es resultado de un proyecto de cooperación generado como resultado del programa de Movilidad Estudiantil y Académica de la Alianza del Pacífico, en donde se logró un intercambio interesante entre académicos peruanos y colombianos; de un lado vinculados a la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, la Universidad Católica de Santa María y el IEPA, y del otro con los Programas Profesionales de Ciencia Política y Economía de la Universidad de Antioquia. La elaboración de un número especial que discuta los principales problemas de la política exterior latinoamericana fue resultado de un conjunto de discusiones que se realizaron durante el semestre 2023-II en la Universidad de Antioquia; como iniciativa nuestra.

Recognizing foreign policy in Colombia: What we should understand behind it

Luis Fernando Vargas-Alzate — 2025-03-05

Abstract

A review of the literature produced in Latin America on the conceptualization and implementation of foreign policy reveals persistent difficulties affecting foreign affairs agencies and diplomatic services. The literature almost always reduces such dynamics to problems of a political nature. Consequently, conceptual issues necessary to understand the practical execution of any political activity are often left aside.

Colombia is not an exceptional case. Scholars often avoid defining foreign policy and have difficulty discriminating it from international politics or international relations. Additionally, as part of the empirical work, policymakers' interactions indicate they need a clearer and complete understanding of the subject. These circumstances suggest that one of the difficulties affecting the absence of clearly designed foreign policy strategies is the relative scarcity of knowledge on the subject. This obstacle is the central issue for this academic discussion. The paper aims to engage the foreign policy study from the conceptualization and understanding.

Intelligent Local Networks and Regional Infrastructure Links

Camila Abbondanzieri — 2025-03-05

The purpose of this article is to present in a synthetic and concise manner a set of theoretical and practical keys that contribute to rethinking in an innovative and strategic way the design and planning of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean. This task is driven by considering the conditions, both favorable and limiting, that characterize the current historical conjuncture in International Relations. The main idea of this article indicates that, looking to the future, a creative multi-actor and multi-scalar strategy is required in Latin America and the Caribbean to pursue the reconfiguration of what we denominate the new nodes of sustainable development. These are made up of two complementary types of environments that are distinguished based on their focus, capacity and strategy: Intelligent Local Networks (ILE) and Regional Infrastructure Links (RIL).

Analysis of the Impact of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs on the Restructuring Projects of Peru’s National Coca Company (ENACO)

Sandra Ximena Niño de Guzmán Tapia — 2025-03-05

International treaties are pivotal in molding and directing national policies. By creating a binding normative framework, they influence government decisions and, consequently, the structure of institutions, affecting various national actors. This study aims to elucidate the impact of the international narcotics regime, with a specific focus on the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (hereafter referred to as the Single Convention) promoted by the United Nations (UN), on the restructuring efforts of the National Coca Company (ENACO) from 2001 to 2023. To achieve this, a qualitative methodology was employed, leveraging the usefulness and relevance of document analysis and interviews, the latter validated by experts specializing in research methodology, ENACO restructuring, and the international narcotics regime. The study ultimately finds that, despite the Single Convention's binding nature for the Peruvian State, its provisions did not significantly impact ENACO's restructuring efforts during the specified period. This is attributed to the stronger influence of domestic factors such as political, administrative, and financial considerations on the restructuring demands and outcomes.

Quando é preciso voltar

Alex G. Brum — 2025-03-05

Considering that human displacement flows are one of the most affected social aspects in international crisis situations, this paper aims to analyze the actions of the Brazilian State to repatriate its citizens abroad in a context of foreign policy and global positioning in international crisis scenarios, specifically during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and at the beginning of the violent confrontations in Israel and the Gaza Strip, starting in October 2023. To this end, it uses a qualitative approach and exploratory research on the analysis of official communication materials from the Brazilian government and news broadcast by the media that record different types of actions involving the Brazilian State, mainly through its Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, and Brazilians abroad (tourists or emigrants). We conclude that there was recognized mobilization of the actors involved, mainly through the operations “Regresso à pátria amada Brasil” and “Voltando em Paz” in response to the global impacts of both events, as well as a leading role for Brazil in Latin America, involving its relations with neighboring countries. However, these were insufficient to address the complexity of the situation.