Some of the countries in the Andean community have experienced significant changes and economic problems. Ecuador has had severe economic problems, Bolivia has had political changes, and many political events have taken place in Venezuela. So they may not have had the purchasing power to focus on Canadian exports or products.
They are relatively small economies, and when the resources are not available they tend to restrict the entry of products that will place a demand on their limited foreign reserves. So I would not take that as Canada not being competitive; it is a specific problem of the country more than one of trade relations.
Are they protectionist? Yes, they are, because they have limitations on their ability to import, and they've probably restricted use of their foreign currency to bare necessities.
Who are our competitors there? I could not say, but they are probably suppliers of those bare necessities: Asia, Europe, or the U.S.