External vulnerabilities and economic integration. Is the Union of South American Nations a promising project?

This article addresses the reactions of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) economies to external shocks. Because it was conceived as a political alliance, the UNASUR is likely to be a promising integration project. Thus, assessing the union from an economic perspective is essential. Using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) approach, this study assesses the external monetary, commercial and -financial vulnerability of the bloc members, together with their preferences for stabilization tools (monetary or fi-scal instruments) and the level of convergence. The results reveal mutual weaknesses to overcome and a considerable synchronization level within the UNASUR. Evidence of positive integration prospects is found.