Following the destruction of natural hazards and political crises, the EU has proven a critical partner for Latin America. This complex relationship has been a source of hope and controversy for many years. It balances political strategy and humanitarian commitment, focused on creating development and stability across Latin America. Many players keep this relationship working, like governmental agencies and independent organizations, intersecting across EU platforms.

In the past year, Latin America has faced many challenges, from Venezuela’s electoral crisis to Haiti’s battle against discrimination and the escalating violence across the continent. Not to forget, natural hazards are worsened by climate change every year. While Latin America is rich in culture and history, many countries lack the resources to face these challenges alone. To promote international cooperation, governmental organizations, and NGOs based in Brussels aim to provide humanitarian aid and support for human rights. These different organizations highlight the roles of the EU as both a humanitarian and a political partner to Latin America.   Governmental organizations like ECHO, a branch of the European Commission dedicated to foreign crisis response, work closely with local partners in Latin America to deliver assistance after natural disasters and during times of political instability, showing the EU’s commitment to development and stability in the region. While humanitarian aid is a critical way the EU supports Latin America, there are many critiques of this approach, calling it out as a political strategy and claiming it mirrors neo-colonialist stereotypes. However independent NGOs based in Europe also play a big role in bringing awareness to human rights issues that are not at the front of political organizations. NGOs based in Brussels like Race and Equality advocate at the Commission or Parliament for social justice, more specifically,  the rights of Afro-descendants, indigenous communities, and LGBTQI+ populations. Together, these organizations show that the EU’s involvement in Latin America is very layered, as political forces like  ECHO  are at play but also independent advocacy groups are constantly engaging and lobbying for change.

Latin America and the Caribbean  (LAC) have always been a region of interest for the EU, they are linked not only economically and politically but also culturally. The EU is a top investor in LAC and ranks as the third-largest trading partner in the area. Together, the EU and LAC represent more than one-third of the United Nations members, showing a strong partnership. In June 2023, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, alongside the European Commission, adopted  A New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean. Their goal is to strengthen ties and renew the EU-LAC partnership, which is focused on creating a renewed political alliance, strengthening common trade agendas, implementing investment strategies for green and digital transitions, and joining forces against organized crime.

This partnership aims to promote justice, civil security, peace, democracy, human rights, and humanitarian aid.  However, despite the long history of collaboration,  the shadow of colonialism is still there. Many people argue that the Commission’s involvement in Latin America may perpetuate neo-colonial practices, exploiting vulnerable communities for political and economic gain. Recently, they’ve also received criticism, for a lack of transparency and accountability on their work in Latin America. To understand the workings of these organizations, and how they work under the umbrella of the European Commission, listen to two members of the  European Civil and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) as they discuss their efforts and challenges in their work.

Given the EU’s strong ties to Latin America, it is no surprise that their involvement extends beyond the economic and political to include humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian Aid Organizations have a big role in supporting vulnerable communities across Latin America and strengthening EU-LAC relationships. However, humanitarian aid is not the only way the EU supports Latin America. Independent NGOs currently advocate in Brussels to protect human rights across the LAC, as these issues are not always a priority for governmental organizations. To know more about how these NGOs work with the European Council and Parliament listen to Camilo Tovar from the International Institute for Race and Equality.

These types of NGOs use their influence in Brussels to lobby for the visibility of human rights, social justice, and inclusive development in LAC. While lobbying is often seen in a negative light, this type of international collaboration tries to address systematic injustice, which might help to build a fairer future.

The relationship between the EU and LAC is complex, there are many different aspects and many players, each with their own goals and missions. And, while some might think of this as a strictly strategic relationship, to strengthen economic and political power,  we have to remember, that it is also a relationship committed to creating positive change. The EU government and independent organizations across the globe, work together by lending a helping hand in times of crisis, taking preventative action, advocating on international platforms, and working together for progress.