ABSTRACT
The chapter analyses the causes for the disintegration of UNASUR within the context of the broader debate of the crisis of regionalism in South America and recent research on the death of IOs and the withdrawal from IOs. The article demonstrates that the disintegration of UNASUR is not an outlier, but rather reflects a general trend. The failed election of a new secretary-general in UNASUR was the starting point for the disintegration of the regional organisation. The chapter shows how, in the case of UNASUR (and PROSUR), the strategy of regime-boosting by Venezuela led to the counterstrategy of competitive regime creation by Venezuela’s opponents. The last part of the chapter looks at the prospects for South American regionalism in the post-COVID-19 period, the lessons that can be learned from the fate of UNASUR and the low profile of PROSUR. It argues that a more functional or technical-oriented regional cooperation should be less susceptible to regime-boosting and competitive regime creation strategies.
