Democracy, Contitution and Foreign Relations: the role of Law and Citizenship in the New Latin American Constitutionalism Context

Abstract

The rules explicitly aimed to guide the external relations of a country established
principles of the state action, regulating the procedures and institutional responsibilities of
the different actors, organizations and public authorities involved in the issue. Constitutional
Law studies have Constitutionalism as a linear evolution process, this same evolution is not always found in third world countries, as is the case of Latin America. The relationship between the New Latin American Constitutionalism and democracy appears in the center of academic debates raising the central question of the extent to which popular sovereignty may exhaust all his legitimacy power of exercise in a constitutional text. The formulation process of external relations has changed, with more and more groups within the Latin American society pushing for representation of their interests. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs remain refractory
to these influences, but social movements seek alliances with state sectors that want more space on the diplomatic agenda.