South-South Cooperation and the Geographies of Latin America-Caribbean Integration and Development: A Socio-Spatial Approach

Structured around the case of South-South cooperation in the construction of "complementary economic zones" among the member states of the ALBA-TCP, Petrocaribe, CARICOM and MERCOSUR, this article argues for a socio-spatial approach to the study of the Latin America-Caribbean integration and development. Two interrelated arguments are developed: first, in contrast to methodologically nationalist approaches, which typically view the regionalisms that are to form the complementary economic zones as ideologically separate, incompatible or conflicting projects, a socio-spatial approach in conjunction with a South-South cooperation analytical lens explains their commonality and, subsequently, their interrelatedness and convergence. Second, while this South-South cooperation space is not per se non-capitalist, a socio-spatial analysis also facilitates "seeing" the production of a socialist "counter-space" within this South-South cooperation structure.