Paper details

Paper authors	Oscar A. Gomez
In panel on	Humanitarian action in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Its governance and peculiarities in the region
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

This paper offers a critical perspective on the Global South agency in international politics through humanitarianism, drawing mainly from the experience of four Latin American countries: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Their experience in the region and beyond provides a mix of characteristics that result in a unique understanding of crisis and response. Latin America is relatively well-off and—except for Haiti—is usually outside the scope of major humanitarian emergencies. However, Latin America is still affected by high inequality, organized crime, and all types of disasters while immersed in different forms of displacement. The paper explores this duality, contributing to the limited knowledge of humanitarianism in Latin America and the agency it engenders. First, there is resistance to be seen as the locus of humanitarian crises, reflected through capacity building and diplomacy. Humanitarian norms are circulated, proposing alternative principles to inform action, mainly ‘non-indifference’, ‘reciprocity’, ‘sustainability’, and ‘horizontality’. The idea of “donor” is also contested, as countries emphasize horizontality and the rich diversity of South-South exchanges between line ministries and other offices in charge of specific crises. Yet not all the negative sides of traditional humanitarianism and cooperation can be avoided, casting a shadow on the sustainability of their vision.

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