The pioneer countries of the Pacific Alliance have established a deep integration within their guidelines, so to move in this direction several stages must be met, explains Campos-Herrera.
“The first should be a free trade zone, a second a customs union, a third would be a common market and, finally, an economic union. So these different phases lead to what in academic terms we could call a real genuine integration, a successful integration”, says the political scientist.
The specialist points out that the first two stages have been completed – the establishment of a free trade zone and, although with limitations, a customs union, it is still not very clear how to achieve an economic union between the members of the Alliance.
“Globalization is stressed by different fronts, for example, the incursion of the government with protectionist tendencies, even chauvinists, which have hindered the dynamics of globalization,” he says.
However, although the governments of the member countries of the Alliance now have leftist tendencies and, in the case of Mexico, promote a more active participation of the State in some economic sectors, there is no noticeable loss of interest in integration.
“The chances of receiving investment from these countries is that they maintain a more or less open economy, more or less friendly to foreign investment. If any of these resist this and start to close, they are going to pay costs and I don’t think they are going to do that, they haven’t done it until now and I think this is going to be maintained”, says Miguel Ruiz Cabañas.
In addition, in order to achieve a more dynamic trade, as well as to consolidate a trans-Andean and trans-Pacific bloc, the Alliance must make the entry of new member countries and partners more flexible. Currently, Ecuador and Costa Rica have guest status.
“There must be flexibility for the entry of new members into this alliance and that allows its growth, that is, with a greater number of members involved, the alliance can be seen to be stronger, much more solid than those four countries that are currently in it,” he says. Campos-Herrera.