TRADE INTEGRATION IN LATIN AMERICA IN HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Since 1950 several attempts were made integration between the economies of LatinAmerica. The first, LAFTA, emerged based on the ideas disseminated by ECLAC.According to the work initially disclosed the region could overcome their stateof underdevelopment through policies of import substitution industrialization,which have their effects magnified in a context of integrated economies.However, integration is not evolved as originally expected and, in 1980, LAFTAis reformed by the Treaty of Montevideo and becomes LAIA. Currently, the issueof integration in the region has been discussed in the context of openregionalism.