The United Kingdom has an opportunity to become a more significant player in Latin America while setting an example for other European countries. Venezuela is an important test case of how truly ‘global’ post-Brexit Britain wants to be.
Latin America has not seen a meaningful British presence in over 100 years. In colonial times, Britain was one of the leading powers with interests, particularly in the West Indies. In the 1820s, it supported the independence movements from Spain and built trading relationships with the newly formed countries. After most British business interests were sold to fund the country’s efforts in world war one, Britain largely disappeared as a major player, with only occasional spikes in interest, such as the 1982 Falklands war.
Today, Britain’s interest in the region is growing again. ‘South America would not form the FCO’s top regional priority,’ a report by the Commons’ foreign affairs committee argued in 2019.
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