The ideologists behind the idea of a Confederation on the American Continent

Abstract

Parallel to the emancipatory process of the Spanish colonies and creation of constitutional republics in the Americas in 19th century, ideas about a confederation of independent states were forming. The forerunner, Francisco de Miranda, was inspiring generations with his global vision of the new nations and the creation of a great state from the Mississippi River to Cape Horn. In Chile, Juan Egaña raised the need for an American Union through an amphictyonic congress, with national governments defining its functions and powers. Decades later, the same ideas continued to be supported by Andrés Bello in Chile. The cornerstone is undoubtedly Simón Bolívar, who organized the Panama Congress of 1824, and thanks to his unmatched leadership, achieved a multilateral treaty with a supranational body, a unique feat in the continent at that time. Despite being considered a failure regarding the lack of subsequent ratifications, the Panama Congress did mark the beginning of intermittent international conferences that allowed for the fostering of original international legal principles in the region. The ideas of confederation are framed by the jurist, Alejandro Álvarez, in the “Egaña-Bolívar” Doctrine, which is a founding part of the so-called American School of International Law.