Latin America has a long tradition in the debate on regionalism, mobilizing original reflections in the process of producing knowledge and insight on Latin American regional integration. Considering this rich collection, the present work seeks to jointly analyze the concepts of regional integration, autonomy and development that cross both the field of regionalism studies and the performance of epistemic communities – formally or informally – recognized for bringing together actors (intellectuals, academics, diplomatic, social and political actors) and institutions (universities, networks, think tanks, government agencies and regional institutions) responsible for formulating, implementing and disseminating theoretical and practical knowledge on regional integration and which have the capacity to influence policy and decision-makers in the region. The work made use of qualitative research being guided by the multidisciplinary approach, promoting debate in the area of international relations, sociology and geopolitics. In order to achieve the objectives outlined, a bibliographic review of the processes of integration and regionalism connected to the conceptual framework of epistemic communities in the Latin American and Caribbean context was carried out. In this sense, the discussion was enhanced by the field research that reached 32 semi-structured interviews with academic, political, trade union and diplomatic actors from eight nationalities who made themselves available to answer questions about the meaning of Latin American integration, the history of regionalism, the current scenario and the future of the regional agenda on the continent. Finally, the research sought to illustrate a brief overview of regional governance, as well as to indicate trends and capacities to influence public policies and decision-makers in countries and regional blocks, even as to give visibility to the performance of potential, viable and likely epistemic communities to guide, support and articulate the processes of contemporary integration in Latin America.