After the Pink Tide: How Increased Ideological Divergence Leads to Severe Contestations of Regional International Organisations in Latin America

Latin America is characterised by the existence of a large number of overlapping regional international organisations (RIOs). From the late 1990s onward, a ‘Pink Tide’ brought many left-wing governments into office. This development also manifested itself in the creation of new ‘post-liberal’ or ‘post-hegemonic’ RIOs, including ALBA, CELAC and UNASUR, and the transformation of existing organisations. Once the ‘Pink Tide’ began to ebb in the mid-2010s, left-leaning RIOs encountered contestations through exit threats and actual withdrawals. This paper explains the observed pattern and argues that when right-leaning governments ideologically clash with the RIO while not being able to induce change to match their own aspirations, severe dissatisfaction arises. This can culminate in exit threats and – when the RIO is not deemed as highly important by the state in question – lead to withdrawals. The paper concludes with insights into the consequences of these challenges for RIOs.