The complex network of Presidential Summits. Reflections on multilateral, multispatial presidential diplomacy in South America

Multilateral and multi-spatial presidential diplomacy is a novel phenomenon characterizing the foreign policy of South American countries. This article deals with the meaning and efficacy of Presidential Summits, especially emphasizing their economic dimension. To do so, it analyzes the four regional spaces in which Presidential Summits take place: the hemispheric, Ibero-American, bi-regional (with the European Union), and South American, the latter of which increasingly coincides with enlarged MERCOSUR.