In 2010 the British government announced its intention to re-engage with Latin America. Five years on, this report seeks to establish the degree to which the UK has succeeded in this, and how the government can help maintain and accelerate the progress of a revitalized relationship between the UK and Latin America.
Progress To Date
On 9 November 2010, William Hague, then Foreign Secretary in the UK’s new coalition government (formed by Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) gave the Canning lecture, delivered at Canning House, an event which broadly coincided with the 200th anniversary of the dawn of Latin American independence. Hague, a historian as well as a politician, appreciated the significance of the anniversary, and made many references to Britain’s role in the struggle for Latin American independence, a campaign fought principally against Spain and Portugal.