MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Britain, Spain and the sleeping giant Latin America

UK Foreign Office Minister, Chris Bryant,

UK Foreign Office Minister, Chris Bryant, addressed the Latin American Forum at Casa de America in Madrid on 14 September.

The conference was dedicated to “Britain, Spain and Latin America”, basically the growing influence of Latinamerica in world political and trade affairs and the fact that of the EU countries, Spain and Britain have the longest and closest links with the region.

Since Spain takes over the presidency of the European Union next January, Mr. Bryant points out a tentative agenda for the coming years, but also underlines the EU failings such as not having been able to achieve a free trade agreement with different countries from Latinamerica.

The speech, which follows, might look too long but is presented concisely and well illustrated with knowledge of Spanish and Latinamerican culture and tradition.

There are three reasons why I have come to Madrid as the British government's minister for Latin-America:

Firstly—for better or for worse—Spain and Great Britain are the two countries in Europe that have had the strongest ties with Latin America, both in the past and in the present. You have given a lot to Latin America for several centuries, including your Spanish language. And you still have close relations with all the Latin-American countries. You play a very important leadership role.

But we also have a long history of cooperation with Latin America. The trains in Argentina run on the left, because they were built by British engineers. In Patagonia, there is a community that speaks Welsh, the language from my part of Great Britain, Wales. And every time I visit Latin America, I am impressed by the fact that British stars, like Amy Winehouse and Duffy are as well known as Spanish singers. This week, for example, the British were in the Argentine Top 30 with songs by Lilly Allen, Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Coldplay (who have two disks in it), the Ting Tings and Dido.

I am delighted that British music tends to be more popular than the music from the USA in Latin America.

At times, the British relationship with Latin America is cultural. At other times, it is a matter of economics. With a population of 575 million and with 6% of the gross domestic product of the entire world, no country can afford to ignore Latin America.

But we also have a very open political relationship with the continent. We worked together with the governments of Mexico and Brazil in the G20 summit on the world-wide financial crisis.

We are fighting drug-trafficking with the countries from the Andes, including Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. And we are endeavouring to deal with the problem of climate change with all the Latin-American countries.

Thus, you can see that our relationship, the relationship between Britain and this region, has always been and will always be very important for us.

But there is a second reason why I am here, and that is that Latin America has always seemed to me to be a giant with unlimited powers and possibilities. But a sleeping giant.

Let me explain. Latin America has enormous mineral and agricultural wealth. Its population is creative, dynamic and warm. And Brazil and Mexico are amongst the twenty largest economies in the world. But to date, Latin America has never managed to exploit its full potential. I think there are reasons for this.

Firstly, inequality. Latin America continues to be the most unequal continent in the world, where murderous poverty lives alongside phenomenal wealth. Thirty-four million Latin Americans live below the poverty line and over 8 million in extreme poverty. The World Bank figures show that 20% of the population in Brazil has just 2.2% of the gross domestic product.

Secondly, lack of security. According to the Guatemalan Interior Ministry, for example, there is one murder every ninety minutes in Guatemala. In El Salvador, there are 14 a day. According to the Pan-American Health Organisation, Colombia, El Salvador and Venezuela have the highest crime rates in the world. And it is worse for the young people. A young man in Latin America under the age of 24 is thirty times more likely to be killed than a similar aged European.

Thirdly, the lack of protection for human rights. Thank God that the era of oppressive dictators, of the likes of Stroessner, Viola, Videla and Pinochet, is over. There are no more torture cells. But not all human rights are protected. Freedom of expression does not exist for everyone. There are still political prisoners. Trade unionists continue to be killed.

And in Honduras, we can see that there are still parts of the Latin-American population who do not accept or respect democracy.

Part of the problem is the drug traffic, which is an enormous obstacle for Latin America. Crime spreads and limits countries' opportunities to advance and make economic progress. Because of this, and because we recognise that European consumers are part of the problem, the United Kingdom is working with the governments in Colombia and Venezuela to fight drug trafficking. And with Spain, we are implementing a system of cooperation to intercept drugs. This work must continue and become ever more efficient.

Fourthly, not looking outwards. “Anti-Yankeeism”, the rejection of the US (or maybe of all things European), and, I am sure, some day, the rejection of all things Chinese, or all things Indian, will never be a sufficient policy for the region. We all have our moments of rebellion, but however long Don Quixote continues jousting windmills he will never achieve a decent wage for the poor. That is not the way to open health centres for all, or to protect the indigenous population or to construct a sustainable, strong Latin-American economy.

But there is one point on which I am in agreement.

I am not sure whether you know Goya's painting, The Colossus. It depicts a giant who is trampling over a landscape of destroyed villages. For Goya, the colossus then was Napoleon's imperialism, which he also presented in his paintings Second of May and Third of May. And their message still holds true today. The relationship between Latin America and Europe cannot be a neo-colonial or imperialistic relationship. It must be a relationship of equals.

My third reason for being here is that the United Kingdom and Spain have important values in common.

Both countries focus on how to promote economic recovery and how to set sustainable growth in motion. We believe that Europe should be an efficient global actor, with an outward-looking vision and aspirations. We want closer ties between Europe and the rest of the world. And we want the same for Latin America:

• Regional stability
• Strong democratic institutions and the rule of law
• Checks and balances for the executive branch of government
• More equality
• Fewer lost causes

This is a key moment.

In January, Spain will be taking over the presidency of the European Union and I know that the preparations are already well underway. We want to take advantage of our good bilateral relations with Spain to build a more fruitful partnership with Latin America. The United Kingdom wants to work with Spain during its presidency to achieve our common goals in Latin America.

Of course, we have a formal EU-LAC process (European Union - Latin America and the Caribbean). And of course, the European Union considers Latin America a natural ally and we have many essential values in common. But we do not always work together to ensure these values are put into practice.

For example, it is scandalous that we have not managed to sign free-trade agreements with all the countries in Latin America. We could do more together to get things moving:

• A clear multilateral voice at the United Nations
• Firm leadership on many matters; and
• Unequivocal opposition to the temptations into which others may fall to undermine international institutions and the freedoms and rights that have been so difficult to achieve.
• But we need a genuine commitment if we are to help Latin America achieve its potential and the European Union will have to be clear, firm and decisive if we want to build the kind of relationship with Latin America that will lead to tangible results. We are not the only ones to wish to do so.

Trade relations between Latin America and India, China and other emerging economic powers are becoming increasingly strong. That means that we cannot take it for granted that Latin America will look to Europe for allies.

That is why we are willing to participate with respect to all the problems facing us, working together (or in parallel) with Spain. There are two specific matters on which we can work:

The Economy

Latin America did not cause the economic global crack. But the financial whirlwind has affected it. In Latin America, the banks have stayed open and their prudent financial management has given us an example of how things should be done. We need Latin-American countries to raise their powerful voice to bring about a reform of the international financial system.

The close ties from Spanish and British investment have enabled companies like Santander, Telefonica and British Petroleum to prosper, creating value in Latin America. Governability continues to be an issue that we must focus on. Too many people in Latin America are living on the brink. We must support the region so that it is no longer the region with the largest gaps between the haves and the have-nots.

Climate Change

The most pressing problem of today. Latin America's vulnerability to climate change is alarming. Fifty percent of its farmlands could become desert. The glaciers in the Andes, on which millions depend for their water and electricity, are already melting. In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are 66 cities that are threatened with flooding.

That is why we must foster more fruitful EU-Latin-American cooperation on climate change. Each of us has different skills. So together, we can play a leadership role in this matter.

In economic terms, we know that the costs of not taking action are greater than the costs of doing something. Climate change is a multiplier of threats. In this debate, Spain occupies a privileged position, thanks to its shared language and its historic ties. We cannot fail in Copenhagen. There is too much at stake. Without Latin America, we cannot achieve the right treatment for this issue in December.

To conclude

The United Kingdom and Spain must work together even more closely in and with Latin America, not as neo-colonialists, but as real friends, equals and allies. I know that some in the region feel suspicious and insist on harping back upon the past. It is time for those people to join those who live in the present and are making plans for the future.

A future of greater cooperation between the European Union and Latin America. A future in which a stable, strong, internationally-minded Latin America can work with us to tackle the global challenges of our times.