Abstract

PALMA-GUTIERREZ, Mauricio  and  LONG, Tom. Performativity and Colombian Foreign Policy: A 'Good Member' of the Liberal International Order?. Desafíos [online]. 2022, vol.34, n.spe, e03.  Epub Nov 02, 2023. ISSN 0124-4035.  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/desafios/a.11844.

Performativity is a fundamental aspect of foreign policy. In the Colombian case, foreign policy elites aspire for the country to occupy the role of a "good member" of the Liberal International Order (LIO), which they enact through a mix of theatrical actions and rhetoric. This performative aspiration shapes foreign policymakers' perceptions of national interests; at the same time, the country's performance contributes to the co-constitution and legitimation of the LIO. In this article, we illustrate how Colombian officials guide their actions to position the country in this "scene," how they identify relevant audiences, how they develop scripts, and how they deploy their performance. We use this theoretical framework to interpret two important cases of Colombian foreign policy: the international response to Venezuelan migration and the so-called "war on drugs." We conclude by highlighting how the performance of non-hegemonic states, like Colombia, take on multiple and flexible meanings, which help manage their international status.

Keywords : Foreign policy; Colombia; Liberal International Order; co-constitution; performance; performativity; Venezuelan migration; international prohibition regimes; war on drugs.

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