O Alto Representante-Geral do Mercosul: origens, cariz e extinção

Abstract

Mercosur's external relations had an external representative position/body from the end of 2010: the High General Representative of Mercosur (ARGM). He received numerous assignments in intra-Mercosur affairs and in external relations. And it was considered as "the face" of Mercosur in Brazilian diplomatic discourse and oriented to improve Mercosur's projection. However, its extinction occurred at the beginning of 2017, after the troubled year of 2016. Based on the understanding of political projects for region building, this article aims to occupy the incipient space on the ARGM in the research related to the “new Mercosur”, presenting a study from its creation to this quick extinction. Without following the mainstream of negotiating with third parties towards free trade, the links promoted in the agency's activities in external relations were political, much more than commercial. Interviews, documentary and bibliographical research support the suggestion that the creation and activities of ARGM developed towards South America and in adaption to the “new Mercosur”, until it lost this condition with the strengthening of another regional political project, the “Mercosur of the 21st century”.