Australia and Latin America, closer than ever

Latin America is a lot more to Australians than a popular tourist destination.

A new book is bringing together views on Australian and Latin American relations on a range of topics that tie these regions together, including aid, economic and trade ties, culture and education.

Australia and Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities in the New Millennium, edited by Dr John Minns and Professor Barry Carr from the Australian National Centre for Latin American Studies (ANCLAS) is the first comprehensive view on relations between the regions.

The collection of papers detail the many factors that have led to increasing links between Australia and Latin American countries, with a view to identifying policy gaps and areas for future focus.

It’s only in recent decades, since about the 1970s, that Latin American and Australia have had much to do with each other, but the two regions are growing closer on a number of levels, said Dr Minns.

“Latin American migrants seem to have had a cultural influence disproportionate to the size of the population in Australia,” said Dr Minns.  

“As well as an important tourist destination, Latin American culture has been quite attractive to Australians, and Latin American dance, literature and film have all taken off.”  

Increasing economic links, particularly in the mining and resources sector are also contributing to closer ties, in addition to a “multidirectional” foreign policy shift in Latin American countries.

“In the past, Latin American orientation was to the western hemisphere – to other Latin American countries, and in particular to the United States,” said Dr Minns

“But that’s changed quite a lot, and the whole of Latin America has shifted to be more multidirectional focus.”

“There’s an increasingly been an Asia-Pacific orientation, and to a certain extent Australia has been caught up in that.”

Of the 26 Central and South American countries, 12 have a diplomatic presence in Canberra, with another two embassies set to open soon.

Outside foreign policy, the education sector is another area of common interest. Australia is a key destination for Latin American students and joint research projects are taking place with Australian and Latin American researchers.

A focus on Latin America in Australia’s education sector can help these two regions continue develop their relationship, in a similar way to the way ANU pioneered teaching and research in the Asia-Pacific region, said Dr Minns.

“In order to build a relationship with a region and make the links broader in the longer term, you’ve got to study it seriously.”

Australia and Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities in the New Millennium is available on the ANU Press website.