Imagining Alternatives? Latin American Scholarship on International Economic Law and the Global Economic Order

This Article analyzes the role of Latin American international economic law scholarship within the global economic order. Many of the problems that Latin Americans face today relate to the global economy, such as labor conditions, access to medicine, and the use of natural resources, among others. The discussion of these problems, however, seldom recognizes the role of international economic law scholarship. Although the knowledge created by this scholarship may not completely explain why States actively behave in a certain way, it can serve to explain why they may refrain from certain actions. This Article argues that scholarship on international economic law plays a crucial role in the creation and reproduction of the current global economic order. If this claim is correct, regional scholarship can do more for Latin America than serving the advisory and litigation needs of States. By recognizing its role in constituting the global economic order, international economic law scholarship can promote alternative theories and practices that may help Latin America and its people find their place in the global economy