Latin American Superstate?

What if the newly independent republics of Latin America after their struggles for independence from Spain put aside their differences and formed a powerful superstate? How will this affect history?

BTW, there are several questions about this:

  1. How does the United States and Europe respond to this?
  2. Will it undergo a similar history as the United States?
  3. What kind of government would it be?
  4. How does Brazil respond to this new state?
 
Before 1900, the superstate is going to fall apart within a couple of months, in large part because the superstate would be over-extending itself. It would be encompassing too large of a geography where already existing national cultures would feel a lot of distrust towards the superstate's central authorities. So I doubt it's going to happen.
 
Even if the people in Latin America wanted one state, it would be a very long time before they could have it in more than the loosest sense. The telegraph hadn't been invented yet, the roads weren't great and they didn't have a convenient system of rivers. What they did have were plenty of mountain ranges and rain forests. This put limits on travel, communication, and the general ability of a central state to exercise control over all its parts.

The only way it would happen would be if the people kept the idea of a united Latin America alive in their minds until technology and infrastructure caught up with it.
 
Would it be possible to have a repeat incident with Brazil, where a member of a royal family is given the whole of the colonies to run?
 
A superstate encompassing all of Latin America is very unlikely, but with certain administrative POD during the Viceroyalty of Peru that keep it better communicated across the Andes following it with a united effort for independence you could end up with a super Peru streaching from Equador to Rio de La Plata to the Southern Cone.
 
I think at best you can get a Greater Peru like L suggested, a California-Panama Mexico, or a Peru-Venezuela Greater Gran Colombia: communications before the 20th century are too poor and politics too fractious for any revolutionary-era PODs to create anything larger. If you want a Latin superstate from the Pacific NW to Patagonia, you need a stronger and longer lasting Spanish empire that does a better job of unifying and modernizing it's posessions in the Americas...and to do the job right, you might need to go back as far as the 16th century for PODs.

Bruce
 
If it only consists of areas west of the Andes, it has a good chance of staying united, if loosely. Since after all, there is plenty of coast and ship travel is pretty fast compared to land travel in the era.
 
The best you're to get is a Greater Peru that's got Peru and Bolivia, a super Argentina that's swallowed up Chile, and a surviving Gran Colombia.
All of which are going to be very loose, very unstable, and likely to break. They're all three going to have to be very lucky.

At least in the time period before mass communication--especially radio.
 
I am going to admit this is something Bolivar always dreamed, but yet never did, I think apt he good PODs are this: infrastructure and communication are improved during colonial times, there is no political conflict, and the newly independent nations resolve their differences. I guess we don't need a superstate, but a bunch of large states working together.
 
The best way for this too happen is to have the Spanish Bourbons flee to the colonies during the Napoleanic wars. If they expand the rights of peninsulars to europeans born in Spanish America they just might hold on indefinately, which would make history very interesting.
 
Best bet is a better-off Argentine War of Independence for the Argentinians, which results in a state that extends from the Strait of Magellan to Lake Titicaca.
 
The best way for this too happen is to have the Spanish Bourbons flee to the colonies during the Napoleanic wars. If they expand the rights of peninsulars to europeans born in Spanish America they just might hold on indefinately, which would make history very interesting.

You mean the way the Spanish monarchy held on indefinitely OTL? :D

Remember, these are the forget nothing, learn nothing Bourbons...just holding together Mexico/Central America would be quite a feat for them.

Bruce
 
I actually was discussing a "Latin American Draka" TL with Thande (it was basically "a racist, imperialistic mega-Mexico").

I've got the bones of a TL in a Word document I can post here, but the beginning involved a member of the Spanish royal family slipping through Napoleon's fingers and ruling a Spanish empire in exile from Mexico City, at least for awhile.
 
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