MERCOSUR or the Pacific Alliance? The integration policies of the 'cambiemos' government in Argentina

Ever since the 'Cambiemos' (We Change) political coalition took power in Argentina in 2015, a change has been observed in the country's official integrationist discourse: a reassessment has been made of the economic-commercial context, once again raising the need to establish agreements with other economic blocs and countries in order to stimulate regional trade. Moreover, relations within the economic bloc have also been modified, leading to Venezuela's growing isolation and its eventual suspension. However, official government discourse has continued to highlight the importance of regional integration and of Mercosur as a platform for the insertion of Argentina and the region in the international market. In terms of this scenario, it is relevant to analyze how this redefinition of integration has been carried out, and not forgetting that decisions within Mercosur are taken by consensus and unanimously. Likewise, it is important to assess as to whether integrationist policies in Argentina have been able to withstand the changes in political signals being issued by the government. The research methodology used in this study was qualitative and based on discourse and content analysis. The sources of information were official speeches referencing Mercosur and regulations approved at the regional level in 2016.