Indigenous peoples and paradiplomacy: confronting the state-centric order from Latin American transborder spaces

Abstract

ABSTRACT Latin American transborder spaces constitute areas of special interest for international relations. Within there is a coexistence of processes associated with the more traditional view of this field – the state and its sovereign prerogatives – with divergent local dynamics. This study focuses on two such dimensions: paradiplomacy and the cross-border relations of indigenous peoples. These expressions make it possible to observe the introduction of international ideas and practices (based on local identities, worldviews, relationships and claims) that challenge state sovereignty over territory, its legitimacy and its exclusive representation in the international system. Despite the historical marginalization of such expressions, this study demonstrates the potential shift in international relations through the introduction of ontologies that demand a reconfiguration of epistemic, disciplinary and international practices.