Spain’s foreign policy towards Latin America involves a multi-layered web of relations that go beyond historical ties. These relations are shaped not only at the diplomatic and economic level but also through cultural, linguistic, immigration, and soft power elements. The historical ties established during the colonial era have evolved into different dimensions of interdependence and strategic cooperation in the 21st century.
Spain is redefining its influence in Latin America not only as a former colonial power but also as a member of the European Union (EU). In this context, Spain’s Latin American policy can be interpreted as both an attempt to manage its historical legacy and to establish a sustainable partnership with the region in contemporary global dynamics.
The diplomatic aspect of Spain’s foreign policy towards Latin America is shaped within the framework of the “Ibero-American Community”. In this context, the Ibero-American Summits, organized in 1991, enabled Spain to establish institutional and systematic relations with Latin America. These summits play an important role in setting a common agenda, defining regional development goals, and strengthening democratic values.
Spain has developed diplomatic relations at the level of “special partnership” with many countries in Latin America. These relations are usually conducted through reciprocal embassies, technical cooperation programs, development assistance, and humanitarian interventions in times of crisis. Especially in countries with political crises, such as Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua, Spain acts in line with the EU’s general policy and adopts a more pragmatic stance in line with its own national interests.
Spain’s diplomatic presence in Latin America is also intertwined with its soft power strategy. The promotion of universal values such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law is at the center of Spain’s diplomatic discourse in Latin America. However, this discourse can sometimes be perceived as “neocolonial” by local populations and governments, creating a dichotomy between Spain’s past colonial identity and its current democratic assertions.[1]
In this context, Spain’s diplomatic initiatives sometimes implicitly confront the influence of the United States of America (USA) in the region. While the US has defined Latin America as its sphere of influence since the Monroe Doctrine, Spain has sought to develop a “special relationship” based on historical and cultural ties. This implicit rivalry is particularly evident in crisis-oriented countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, where Spain relies more on soft power diplomacy and the US on sanctions and strategic interventions. The fact that the two actors pursue the same goal through different means creates differences in perceptions and shapes foreign policy attitudes in Latin America.
One of the most decisive factors in Spain’s foreign policy towards Latin America has been economic relations. Since the early 2000s, Spanish companies have established a strong presence in many sectors in Latin America. In sectors such as telecommunications, finance, energy, and infrastructure, Spain is Europe’s largest investor in Latin America.[2]
Spanish investments both create jobs in Latin American countries and contribute to their infrastructure and technological capacity. However, in some cases, these investments have been controversial. For example, Argentina’s nationalization of the State Oil Fields in 2012 temporarily damaged Spanish-Argentine relations through the crisis with Repsol, an international energy company based in Spain.[3] Situations such as these demonstrate that Spanish foreign policy is not only concerned with the export of capital but also has to strike a delicate balance between investor rights and host state sovereignty.
In terms of trade, Spain’s foreign trade with Latin America is concentrated in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Peru.[4] Agricultural products, energy raw materials, automotive parts, and financial services are the main items of this trade. Spain is also one of the most active advocates of EU Free Trade Agreements with Latin America. In the process of the South American Common Market-EU Free Trade Agreement, Spain has been one of the countries pushing hardest for the completion of the negotiations.
Spain’s cultural influence in Latin America is more deeply rooted and widespread than in any other area. Spanish, the lingua franca, is both a symbolic and strategic tool for cultural diplomacy. Spain has opened cultural centers in different parts of Latin America through the Cervantes Institute to promote and teach the language. Through these centers, not only the language is promoted, but also literature, history, art, and contemporary Spanish culture.
The intense consumption of Spanish culture in Latin America also leads to a reverse cultural interaction. Latin American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda, and Mario Vargas Llosa are widely read in Spain; Latin American cinema and music enrich Spanish cultural life. This cultural interaction contributes to the construction of a common “Ibero-American identity” and strengthens the social foundations of political cooperation.
Spain seeks to strengthen academic cooperation through scholarships for Latin American students, graduate programs, and exchange agreements. Universities in Madrid and Barcelona have become centers of attraction for students from Latin America. This is becoming a long-term foreign policy tool to sustain diplomatic relations at the grassroots level.
The Latin American population in Spain has given foreign policy a social dimension. Colombian, Ecuadorian, Venezuelan, and Peruvian communities not only form “diasporic identities” in Spain but also serve as a vibrant social bridge between the two regions. Through these communities, familial ties, financial remittances, and cultural affiliations are maintained, ensuring that foreign policy is reciprocated not only between states but also at the level of people.
The fact that special arrangements were made for migrants coming to Spain after the Venezuela Crisis shows the direct impact of these social ties on political decision-making processes. Spain offers facilitated citizenship rights to immigrants from some Latin American countries and bases its integration policies on cultural affinity.
Spain’s foreign policy towards Latin America is no longer just a continuation of a historical responsibility; it is also an effort to build multidimensional strategic partnerships. Factors such as diplomatic platforms, economic investments, cultural interactions, and migration show that this relationship is shaped not only between states but also between societies.
However, the sustainability of this relationship depends on a more egalitarian, participatory, and pluralistic discourse towards Latin America. A foreign policy built on mutual respect and common interests, rather than on the shadow of the colonial past, will both strengthen Spain’s position in Europe and legitimize its influence in Latin America.
[1] Groeteke, Gage. Beyond Empire: Spain’s Contemporary Relationship with Latin America. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2025, https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/honorstheses/792, (Access Date: 25.05.2025).
[2] “Investment by Latin American Companies in Spain Increased by 138% in 2023.” The Diplomat in Spain, https://thediplomatinspain.com/en/2024/05/09/investment-by-latin-american-companies-in-spain-increased-by-138-in-2023, (Access Date: 25.05.2025).
[3] BBC News. “YPF Nationalisation: Is Argentina Playing with Fire?” BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17740393, (Access Date: 25.05.2025).
[4] anco de España. “Foreign Direct Investment between Latin America and Spain.” Economic Bulletin, vol. 25, no. 1, 2025, pp. 1-14. https://www.bde.es/f/webbe/SES/Secciones/Publicaciones/InformesBoletinesRevistas/BoletinEconomico/25/T1/Files/be2501-art05e.pdf, (Access Date: 25.05.2025).
