Editing South America (section)

== Politics ==
{{See also|Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean}}
[[File:UNASUR (Ecuador).jpg|thumb|Headquarters of the [[UNASUR]] in Quito, [[Ecuador]]]]
Historically, the Hispanic countries were founded as Republican dictatorships led by [[caudillo]]s. Brazil was the only exception, being a [[constitutional monarchy]] for its first 67 years of independence, until a coup d'état proclaimed a republic. In the late 19th century, the most democratic countries were [[Empire of Brazil|Brazil]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Lira|first=Heitor|year=1977|language=pt|title=História de Dom Pedro&nbsp;II (1825–1891): Fastígio (1870–1880)|volume=2|publisher=Itatiaia|location=Belo Horizonte}}</ref> [[History of Chile during the Parliamentary Era (1891–1925)|Chile]], Argentina and Uruguay.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R1KBWX329uIC&q=late+19th+century+most+democratic+South+American+countries&pg=PA219|title=Toward Pro-poor Policies: Aid, Institutions, and Globalization|last1=Tungodden|first1=Bertil|last2=Stern|first2=Nicholas Herbert|last3=Stern|first3=Nicholas|last4=Kolstad|first4=Ivar|date=2004|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0821353882|page=219|access-date=28 October 2020|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414154848/https://books.google.com/books?id=R1KBWX329uIC&q=late+19th+century+most+democratic+South+American+countries&pg=PA219|url-status=live}}</ref>

All South American countries are [[presidential republic]]s with the exception of [[Suriname]], a [[parliamentary republic]]. [[French Guiana]] is a [[French overseas department]], while the [[Falkland Islands]] and [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]] are British overseas territories. It is currently the only inhabited continent in the world without monarchies; the [[Empire of Brazil]] existed during the 19th century and there was an unsuccessful attempt to establish a [[Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia]] in southern Argentina and Chile. Also in the twentieth century, [[Suriname (Kingdom of the Netherlands)|Suriname]] was established as a constituent kingdom of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] and [[Guyana (1966–1970)|Guyana]] retained the [[British monarch]] as [[head of state]] for 4 years after its independence.

Recently, an intergovernmental entity has been formed which aims to merge the two existing customs unions: [[Mercosur]] and the [[Andean Community]], thus forming the third-largest trade bloc in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations/sovereign/integrate/2008/1029newconsensus.htm|title=Globalpolicy.org|publisher=Globalpolicy.org|date=29 October 2008|access-date=24 October 2010|archive-date=29 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429161020/http://www.globalpolicy.org/nations/sovereign/integrate/2008/1029newconsensus.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> This new political organization, known as [[Union of South American Nations]], seeks to establish free movement of people, economic development, a common defense policy and the elimination of [[tariff]]s.