Mercosur and the Struggle against Poverty

Abstract

Structural challenges from the past persist in South America’s reality at the beginning of the 21st century. Poverty and social inequality, problems intrinsic to the region and its societies, remain as obstacles to development. It was only in the post-Cold War period that the fight against poverty became a research topic in international studies. In this context, the most effective ways to fight poverty have been discussed from a global perspective. Regional cooperation and integration can be seen as a possible path for mitigating inequalities. Regional integration can stimulate social welfare only if carried out with a concern for the development of poorer regions and including policies directly aimed at fighting inequalities, as in the case of regional structural funds. However, regional integration can also be another exclusion factor. This chapter discusses to what extent and how regional integration in Mercosur can contribute to the fight against poverty within and among its member-states. The analysis will refer occasionally to the experiences of the European Union (EU).