Relaciones internacionales.indb - HOMINES

SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW AND THEORY OF SUBORDINATE INTEGRATION...
Europe, Japan), a technological revolution is underway which is causing
the reorganization and enormous increase in productivity of management
and production in the manufacturing systems of these countries. 3 Unfortunately,
while this “technological revolution” occurs, we see the continuous
deterioration of Third World economies, including Latin America and
the Caribbean. As a consequence of these two trends, there is a growing
possibility that much of the industrial production that the industrialized
nations transferred once to the Third World will be withdrawn (textiles,
electronics, etc.) to be produced once again in the industrialized centers
and their economic blocks; this would mean that the Caribbean, the rest
of Latin America and other parts of the Third World would be marginalized
more and more from participation in the new international division
of labor. 4
These are evidently contradictory forces, some reinforce the integration
of Mexico, the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean Basin with North
America, and others are disintegrationist. Let’s consider what the factors
delineated above are, and which ones will open the way to the real possibility
of Caribbean-Latin American integration. Together we will have to
solve the problem that will cause economic deterioration, marginalization
and lack of participation in the world economy and its “new industrial
revolution.” The new scene that is approaching can be very harsh and will
require an enormous amount of social creativity and a diverse and renovated
model of development for the Caribbean-Latin American region.
3. STIMULUS TOWARDS A RENOVATED DEBATE
ON INTEGRATION IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN SINCE THE 80s
Apparently, at the end of the eighties, a new cycle of integrationist ferment
began after a long period of regional disinterest on this topic, a stagnancy
that endured at least from 1976-1984. The integrationist tendency
in Latin America was newly reactivated, in July of 1986, when Argentina
and Brazil officially agreed to inaugurate a joint project towards integration.
5 Of course the European Economic Community had also reactivated
3
Watson, Hilbourne A. (Draft), Progress Report on the Canada-United States
Free-Trade Agreement, Semi-Conductors Caribbean Development, Discussion
paper for the Meeting of the Association of Caribbean Economist Working
Group, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 4-6, 1990, p. 16.
4
Ibid. H. Watson, p. 42.
5
a) Garrido, Alberto, La Nueva Relación entre Argentina y Brasil; Cooperación
o Integración, Mérida-Venezuela, ULA, 1987, 67 pp.
b) Mármora, Leopoldo, “Integración Argentino-brasileña: Peligros, posibilidades
86
Vol. XX, Núm. x - xxxxx de 2005 • HOMINES •