Mercosur and the South American process facing the second decade of the XXI century. Is it a consolidation of the new strategic regionalism?

The article analyzes the evolution of Mercosur and its connection with the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) in the first decade of the century and examines the foundations of South American regionalism. The analysis raises two important issues for international relations and political economy: states' capacities for participation in discussions on global governance and in the transition of the international system, and the role of the State in development. It was considered necessary to conduct a multilevel analysis of the State as an articulator of local-national and regional spheres that in turn empowers these spheres in international and global arenas. In that regard, Brazil's foreign policy, its strategic alliance with Argentina at the regional level, and its coordinating role at those levels provide a view of the characteristics and evolution of South American regionalism.