Abstract

The dissertation studies how non-central governments inserted themselves in the integration process between Argentina and Chile. As a case study, the link between the Argentinean province of San Juan and the Chilean region of Coquimbo was addressed through an extensive literature review and more than 70 interviews with key informants. The first chapter presents the theoretical framework, developing the concepts of paradiplomacy, forms of state and centralism. The second chapter provides a historical overview of the role the border area played in the relationship between Argentina and Chile. The third chapter provides an institutional analysis of the Argentinean and Chilean political configurations, shedding light on the different prerogatives and autonomy of their non-central governments. Finally, the fourth chapter analyses the link between Coquimbo and San Juan, especially through the integration committees and the Binational Entity Tunnel Agua Negra (EBITAN), highlighting the fundamental role substate governments played in the bilateral integration process. The dissertation concludes that, through the appropriate international institutionalization and flexibility at the central level, Coquimbo and San Juan proved to be an enormous contribution to integration, something worthy of being replicated not only in Argentina and Chile, but also in other countries of Latin America and the world.