The added value of the Pacific Alliance and ‘modular regionalism’ in Latin America

In 2012 Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico launched the Pacific Alliance, the latest of countless organisations meant to foster Latin American unity and integration. The distinctive features of the Pacific Alliance are that member states all have a Pacific shore and all look with interest to the Asia-Pacific basin for their future development. While the grouping has assets that make it a promising initiative, one may wonder what its real added value to both member states and the Latin American region as a whole is. Ultimately, the Pacific Alliance seems to be a reflection of a broader trend in Latin America towards ‘modular regionalism’.