Abstract
Latin America seems as a homogenous region at first sight and an ideal candidate for local cooperation. The culture is similar, there are no or minimal language barriers, the politics often express their willingness to support each other.
Nevertheless, the reality is somewhat different and until the present day the plans for regional cohesion remain on paper only. It is even more surprising when we consider that the idea of unity among the Latin-American countries is more than 200 years old and was promoted especially by the leaders of their independence because this event presented an excellent opportunity for a fresh start.
The original idea of Francisco de Miranda promoted in 1798 was taken over by his successor Simon Bolívar who had his plans to unify the subcontinent not just for ideological reasons but also because of the security of the newly formed states. In 1826, under the threat of the Holy Alliance, he organized the Congress of Panama in order to form a unity.
However, this hastily prepared project called "Treaty of Union, League, and Perpetual Confederation" failed spectacularly. Even though the timing was excellent and the reasoning was logical, apparently there existed ruptures Bolívar was not aware of.
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the causes why the project of "the United States of Spanish/Latin America" failed and consider if those motives are still present in current affairs of the subcontinent. It will be based on specialized literature, personal memoirs, and contemporary archive documents.