Latin America and BRICS States: A New Axis of Global Power and Hope for Change

The trend towards political and economic integration of the Latin American continent led to the recent inauguration of the Union of South American Nations and of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, in parallel to the rise of BRICS. Brazil and Argentina are increasingly coordinating their policies and economies while challenging the US led neoliberal model, broadly upheld by the European Union. They are also and expanding their exchanges and relations with China, India, Russia and other emerging nations in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. However, the enduring poverty and social injustice prevalent in Latin America and the BRICS require strong state leadership to bring about comprehensive development, going beyond mere economic growth and avoiding the imposition of new hegemonies and unfair relations in a reformed global system.