Naval Integration in the South American Pacific: A regional response to threats in our maritime domains

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to demonstrate, through a geopolitical analysis, the risks and threats that the South American Pacific basin faces foreign powers, with regard to respect for its maritime domain and its hydrobiological resources.
Climate changes and the large population of powers such as China or India, mean a medium/long-term risk for South American countries with sovereignty in the Pacific (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile), in terms of threats to the food security of the populations of the aforementioned powers, the latter could enter our sea to ensure the satisfaction of their needs, violating national sovereignty, as well as International Law.
In the face of these threats and potential risks, what solution is proposed? Joint military integration and cooperation mechanisms between South American countries, to be able to generate a common multinational force, with the capacity to safeguard and protect the sovereignty of these countries. To do this, it is necessary to mitigate the threats and risks of potential conflicts within the region, as they are currently unviable and outdated, and focus on a real and potential threat that could mean a violation of national sovereignty and a joint threat to the region.
Although regional integration has usually been established on the basis of economic relations, this is not the only means to achieve it. Integration can be established through other means, such as national security and defense. On the other hand, there are already supranational integration mechanisms, such as the Andean Community, that could serve as a platform, in view of what this article seeks to propose: a military integration in the South American Pacific with the purpose of protecting and safeguarding the resources and the sovereignty of our countries.