Diverging development strategies: effects on the economic integration of Venezuela and Colombia

Abstract

The article aims to reach the following objectives: a) analyzing within the context of the development strategies implemented by Venezuela and Colombia the evolution, achievements and troubles that has had the economic integration between both countries; b) balancing the state of the bi-national economic integration, with emphasis on the period started at Santa Marta-Colombia, on August 2010, when presidents Hugo Chávez Frías and Juan Manuel Santos had a meeting; and c) introducing to discuss some of the stages, perspectives and challenges that will face the economic integration between Colombia and Venezuela.The article concludes there was a comeback in the degree of bi-national economic integration since in 2012 come in force a partial preferential trade agreement while before both countries were members of the Andean Community, an imperfect customs union. The article remarks that divergences of the development strategies, ideology, geopolitical vision between Colombia and Venezuela are an obstacle to reach a deeper economic integration.