Latin America as an international society

Since independence, Latin American countries gradually have built a sophisticated and highly developed system of regional international law and institutions, including regional norms, that have regulated their international and domestic behavior. This article introduces the historical background and evolution of the Latin American society, differentiates between Bolivarianism and Panamericanism, and analyzes the role of the United States in defining the Latin American regional identity. Moreover, it examines the potential impact of the regional society upon domestic and foreign policies of its member-states.