The Place of Latin America, Colonialism and Coloniality in the Law of Peoples

Recognizing the influence of John Rawls’s moral theory of international relations on contemporary debates about international and global justice, this article aims specifically to identify whether his notion of a society of peoples has an exclusionary character towards Latin American countries and whether there is room for colonialism and coloniality in The Law of Peoples. Our analysis suggests that at least some, if not all, of these countries lack a place in his society of peoples. Regarding Rawls’s stance on colonialism, we argue that his theory does not support colonialism but overlooks the historical processes of colonization. Furthermore, given that the term ‘coloniality’ refers to the perpetuation of colonialism’s effects even after the colonies’ independence, we contend that Rawls’s theory and coloniality have a common element: both have the potential to permit interpretations that belittle Latin American populations.