Deeply concerned about Latin America ceasing to have a significant voice on the world stage, Ricardo Lagos (former Chilean president), Jorge G. Castañeda (politician, writer and university professor) and Héctor Aguilar Camín (Mexican historian and novelist) held various talks to exposed this moment of extreme regional loneliness. For example, in the face of very serious political and humanitarian problems, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting war that has not yet ended, we Latin Americans as a unit (have we ever?) painted very little.

In this fluid exchange of ideas, they ask what would happen if, in a hypothetical Latin American assembly, the countries of Our America declared against the war waged by Russia. There would definitely be absolute discord between our political leaders in power. It is clear that the three dictatorships on the continent (Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua) would be sympathetic to Russia (and, by the way, China), even ignoring historical considerations and indulging in geopolitical issues. Another group may show a wavering attitude (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia).

Finally, other nations, committed to the West, would reject the invasion (Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay). This shows not only conjunctural disunity, but the fragmentation of positions that would prevent us from leading a leading role and the ability to act internationally, which we lose especially from the government of Hugo Chávez, who ideologized international relations to the maximum, thinking about the fate of Latin America solely from an idea – obviously, a failed one – reintroduction of socialism. It is wrong to ideologize foreign policy with supposed revolutionary ideals.

In this book by three authors (…) it is pointed out that we could enter a new Cold War.

In this book by three authors, The new solitude of Latin America. Conversation (Bogotá: Debate, 2022), it is pointed out that we could enter a new Cold War. The threat that Russia will use nuclear weapons has caused tension between the powers, and in the face of this issue with serious planetary consequences, there is a lamentable lack of our voice. Ricardo Lagos says: “Latin America has certain identities of its own, not ideological, from which one can speak with one voice”; So we might be better served by agreeing on a single hemispheric position, with proposals that include the United States and Canada.

The post-pandemic calls us to try to get answers for building governance with social security, political stability and something of a welfare state. Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced every country to close in on itself. Poverty, inequality and insecurity increased; Given that, how do you respond to the non-negotiable demands of societies? A Latin America in which each country walks on its own is a historical mistake: no one will be able to overcome alone the challenges that existed before the pandemic and that have worsened to the point of exposing the fragility of the entire economic, political and social system in which we live. (OR)