Why we should care about LATAM: on the EU's Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in Chile, Cuba, and Colombia

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the European Union (EU) has been successful in protecting and promoting human rights in Latin America, what could be improved, and why. The analysis begins with an examination of the general legal framework of EU foreign policy, including a brief explanation of the various instruments at the EU's disposal and their limitations. This is followed by a discussion of the EU's role in the international context, including in relation to Europe's colonial past and the notion of European values. The importance of the relationship between the two regions is then briefly analyzed. Next, three extensive case analyses are presented, discussing the EU's involvement in Chile, Cuba, and Colombia, all in the specific context of major human rights issues in these countries. The paper concludes that there is much to criticize in the various activities of the EU in Latin America, especially from a decolonial perspective and regarding the discrepancy between ethical and realist objectives. However, the diversity of the efforts made can be positively acknowledged and there is reason to believe that in the future there will be improvements and that the relationship between the two regions will be strengthened towards one of equal partners.