Regional integration and sanitary sovereignty: A health-related reading of the Central American Integration System

Abstract

The article presents a historical overview of the regional integration processes and the characteristics of contemporary sanitary sovereignty in the Central American Continental Axis. The arguments raised explain that, between the ups and downs of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Central Americanist imaginary ideal took shape and set the beginning of important projects and geopolitical unions that cemented contemporary Central American regionalism. Bodies specialized in regional issues were created to promote better living conditions in the member states, such as the Council of Central American Ministers of Health. Despite significant progress in economic matters, the universal recognition of health and the recurrent mechanisms of state accountability project an embryonic figure in the agenda of Central American regional development.