Latin America & Caribbean / Comment
The European Union and South American Populism
14/06/2007 By Susanne Gratius
The democratic compromise is not only the most important "acquis" of political dialogue between Latin America and the EU, but also the common ground for their strategic partnership.
Although both regions affirm in every occasion that they share the same values, the resurgence of populism in Latin America, particularly in Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela increases the gap between both partners.
Recent declarations of Hugo Chávez to "distance from Spain" due to Spanish criticism on the closure of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), or the denial of Evo Morales to sign a free trade agreement between the Andean Community and the EU are clear signs for a deteriorating relationship with the EU.
This comment examines the impact of populism in European Union's policy towards South America and concludes with a series of policy recommendations.
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Keywords
Bolivia Democracy Democracy aid Democracy promotion Democratisation Ecuador Latin America & Caribbean Populism VenezuelaRelated publications
- Alliances and Disagreement in South America: Energy and Integration
- Bolivia: ¿Cuánta revolución cabe en la democracia?
- Bolivia: The Challenges to State Reform
Bio author: Susanne Gratius
PhD in Political Science by the University of Hamburg. Prior to joining FRIDE, Susanne Gratius worked as a Researcher at the Department of the Americas at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin and at the Iberoamerican Studies Institute (IIK) in Hamburg. Until 1999, she was Coordinator at the European-Latin American Relations Institute (IRELA) in Madrid.
