South America and its grand strategy: between acquiescence and autonomy

This essay introduces the issue of grand strategy, and its place and practice in Latin America. This subject, crucial to world politics, has been and continues to be a source of intense, interesting conceptual debate, as well as an essential point of reference for drafting initiatives and official policy guidelines in the central countries. In Latin America, grand strategy has been conceived and implemented in a unique fashion. It has manifested itself through two rationales: acquiescence and autonomy. In addition, it has been expressed through two phenomena: the existence of «small grand strategies» and the emergence of a more conventional first grand strategy, such as the one currently being deployed in Brazil. After identifying four specific historical periods in which a Latin American grand strategy has taken place, and enumerating the options deployed by the countries in the region, the essay concludes with a conceptual examination.

Key words: Latin America, grand strategy, power, foreign policy, acquiescence, autonomy

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