Unlocking regional integration in South America? Cross-border cooperation challenges in the Bioceanic Road Corridor

This research delves into cross-border regional planning (CBRP) and multilevel governance (MLG) frameworks to analyse the gap between cross-border infrastructure integration agendas and their realisation in South America. Considering the Bioceanic Road Corridor (BRC) as a case study, we analyse how the three levels of governance involved in CBRP – transnational approach, involvement of regional and local governments, and participation of public and private actors – interact with the BRC’s ongoing development and help to address (or not) the historical challenges that have hindered integration projects in South America. Based on 32 interviews and a survey of 200 participants, we find weak, limited horizontal links between Argentina and Paraguay. While there’s some interaction between the public national sector in Brazil and Paraguay, Chile and Argentina exhibit more pronounced links with the subnational public sector. The varied nature of cross-border governance within the BRC highlights a lack of coordination in cross-border cooperation and regional planning strategies. Results suggest a limited capacity to address historical challenges such as geopolitical conflicts, institutional barriers, core–periphery patterns, physical and structural constraints, and security concerns that have historically hindered regional integration projects.