Interregionalism in a Multipolar World: Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the MENA region

Abstract

The return of the Monroe Doctrine under the Trump administration and the 2026 CELAC Summits with China, the African Union, and the EU have accelerated a structural transformation in Latin American foreign policy. Faced with an assertive Washington and an insufficiently responsive EU, governments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are deepening strategic ties with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, alongside the African Continent. This policy brief synthesizes theoretical, empirical, and conjunctural evidence to argue that Latin America–MENA interregionalism represents a durable, ideology-driven foreign policy strategy rooted in multipolar autonomy. It examines the historical foundations of this relationship, current drivers including the CELAC process and Gulf state engagement and proposes concrete policy recommendations for deepening institutional interregionalism between both regions.