ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the Latin American cooperative diplomatic style is discussed. Despite the fact that violent domestic struggles are frequent, there are remarkably few cases of interstate war in Latin America. Meyer suggests that the Latin American diplomatic style has characteristics that may offer an explanation for this circumstance: There exists a pattern of regional cooperation aimed at mediation rather than war, especially in preventing and curtailing extraregional military interventions. This style takes the form of international congresses and multilateral diplomacy, and is based on such principles as security through unity, mutual defense against outside intervention, mutual recognition and respect, and rule-governed behavior. The author provides examples of this diplomatic style from the 19th-century congress movement and the Central American peace process of the 1980s.
