Theoretical Foundations: Paradiplomacy, Territory, and Local Development

Paradiplomacia, Território e Desenvolvimento Local

Abstract

This research aims to analyze how paradiplomacy can drive local development within the context of the Bioceanic Route, understood as a strategic logistics corridor integrating Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile. The central problem lies in understanding the mechanisms through which subnational actors — states, municipalities, and regions — can articulate international actions capable of converting logistical flows into vectors of endogenous development. Methodologically, the study draws on a systematic literature review, mobilizing theoretical contributions from consolidated international scholarship, with particular emphasis on authors such as Duchacek, Keohane, Sassen, Santos, and Haesbaert, alongside contributions from Brazilian academic production, notably Lessa, Milani, and Almeida Prado. The theoretical framework is organized around three analytical axes: conceptual, territorial, and developmentalist. The findings indicate that paradiplomacy constitutes a viable and relevant strategy within the Bioceanic Route, operating through five key instruments: investment attraction, technical cooperation, cultural exchange, social cooperation, and institutional capacity-building. The study concludes that its effectiveness is contingent upon the articulation of an appropriate institutional design, the construction of a shared cross-border territorial identity, and multilevel coordination among the diverse actors of the participating countries.