Year of Publication
2006
Organization Name
Canadian Foundation for the Americas
Acronym
FOCAL
Publisher
FOCAL
City
Ottawa
Country of Publication
Canada
Full Date
April 2006
Considered Countries
Spain
United States
Canada
Category
Academic articles
Theme
BILATERAL RELATIONS UE - LAC
Country - LAC
BIREGIONAL RELATIONS UE - LAC
Summits
Keyword(s)
European Union
Latin America
Foreign Policy
Ibero-American Community
Summit Conferences
Trade
Investments
Development Co-operation
History
Abstract
This paper analyzes Spanish policy towards Latin America, highlighting the existence of a
tendency to put relations with the region as a whole ahead of bilateral relations. This means
almost equal treatment for all countries, rather than positive or negative discrimination based
on common interests or on how much the different governments agree on policy issues. The
Ibero-American summits are, in some senses, the highest expression of this tendency.
In general, there is consensus among most of Spain’s political forces that Latin America is
very important to Spain and to Spanish foreign policy. However, what should be a starting
point (common history, culture and languages) has become an end in itself, making it
difficult to discuss specific interests. However, these interests exist and manifest themselves
in different ways, which explains the high density of the relations between Spain and Latin
America.
The existing consensus means that, despite the relatively small differences between the two
main national parties (the Popular Party [PP] and the Socialist Party [PSOE]), policy towards
the region is characterized more by continuity than by breaks with the past. This is not to
deny strong disagreements on some issues, such as the current policy towards Cuba and
Venezuela, which has intensified as a result of the ongoing tension in the Spanish political
scene.
tendency to put relations with the region as a whole ahead of bilateral relations. This means
almost equal treatment for all countries, rather than positive or negative discrimination based
on common interests or on how much the different governments agree on policy issues. The
Ibero-American summits are, in some senses, the highest expression of this tendency.
In general, there is consensus among most of Spain’s political forces that Latin America is
very important to Spain and to Spanish foreign policy. However, what should be a starting
point (common history, culture and languages) has become an end in itself, making it
difficult to discuss specific interests. However, these interests exist and manifest themselves
in different ways, which explains the high density of the relations between Spain and Latin
America.
The existing consensus means that, despite the relatively small differences between the two
main national parties (the Popular Party [PP] and the Socialist Party [PSOE]), policy towards
the region is characterized more by continuity than by breaks with the past. This is not to
deny strong disagreements on some issues, such as the current policy towards Cuba and
Venezuela, which has intensified as a result of the ongoing tension in the Spanish political
scene.
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