Our Collaboration with Latin America: Foreign Secretary’s Address in Chile

I appreciate your hospitality.

It’s a privilege to be here. This venue holds profound significance in Chile’s recent political narrative. Built by volunteers during Allende’s presidency, later requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence during the Pinochet regime, it has now transformed into a Cultural Centre named after one of Chile’s Nobel laureates, Gabriela Mistral.

Two hundred years ago, a fierce revolutionary conflict was unfolding across the Atlantic. It was a clash of ideals in which liberty, self-determination, and representative governance opposed absolutism and tyranny.

This struggle reached a dramatic zenith here in Latin America, fueled by the inspirational leadership of figures such as Simon Bolivar, Bernardo O’Higgins, José de San Martín, and Miguel Hidalgo.

The quest for independence in Latin America stands as one of the most uplifting chapters of the revolutionary era that laid the groundwork for the modern world—full of hardship, resilience, exile, and betrayal; featuring remarkable victories and significant sacrifices; driven by inspiration, leadership, and unity.

From the outset, my esteemed predecessor, George Canning, envisioned that Latin America would hold a pivotal role in global politics.

This continent also birthed the extraordinary literary genre of magical realism. If I were to embrace that style for this speech, I might describe a dream in which George Canning appeared as a formidable jaguar, conveying a message for me to deliver.

Of course, that’s fiction. Yet Canning’s insight about ‘the New World being called into existence to rectify the balance of the Old’ resonates as strongly today as it did in 1826.

The charm of this continent attracted many, including countless experienced veterans who joined the British Legions. Figures like James Rooke, who has a battalion named in his honor within the Colombian army, or Admiral Thomas Cochrane, whom Napoleon called ‘the Sea Wolf,’ who established both the first Chilean Naval Squadron and a precursor to today’s Brazilian Navy. Additionally, Martin Guisse founded the Peruvian Navy. It is heartening to see warships in Latin American navies still bear their names.

I take pride in the role the United Kingdom has played in backing Latin America’s fight for independence and in fostering your subsequent achievements. British engineers and financiers helped construct the railways and ports that linked Latin America to global markets.

Now, two centuries after that revolutionary timeframe, the tectonic plates of global politics are shifting once more. Today, I wish to address values, climate, and the bonds we share between our nations.

We are entering a new era of geopolitical rivalry. Alongside this, an ideological battle is resurfacing, this time focusing on the character and future of the international order.

Our stance is unequivocal: respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination, and human rights must prevail. Alongside democracy, the rule of law, liberty, and freedom. Free and fair elections form the bedrock of any stable, robust democracy.

I recognize these values are embraced throughout Latin America, even if not yet enjoyed by all. Your support in the UN for Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russian aggression has made this abundantly clear.

Speaking of self-determination and democracy, I must address the Falklands.

The Falkland Islanders, like everyone else, deserve the autonomy to define their own future politically, culturally, economically, and in terms of development. Their 2013 referendum clearly indicated their desire to maintain their existing relationship with the UK, which is their unquestionable right. The UK will continue to support them.

However, safeguarding self-determination and democracy is just one of our challenges.

We exist in a world where transnational threats are escalating rapidly. Climate change epitomizes this urgent issue. We need robust multilateral institutions that reflect our current global economic, political, and demographic realities.

Unfortunately, this is not the case at present. The UK acknowledges this, and we aim to collaborate with you for change.

Countries across Latin America hold a crucial role in reconfiguring the international order and the multilateral system to align with the demands of the 21st century, just as Canning predicted.

The population and economy of this region have expanded significantly in recent decades. In 1969, the year I was born, Latin America was home to 279 million people; today, that number exceeds 664 million.

Your demographic and economic significance empowers you to influence the sustainability of the international order.

As I stated last December, the shift in global power has been apparent for quite some time. My goal as the UK Foreign Secretary is to ensure our strategic considerations reflect this reality, which is why I’m here in Latin America this week.

I aim to advance the agenda set forth in 2010 by my predecessor William Hague at Canning House in London.

Since that time, we have opened or restored embassies and high commissions throughout the region. The UK now boasts numerous honorary consuls from Tijuana on the Mexico-US border down to Punta Arenas at the southern tip of Chile.

The UK has welcomed thousands of new Chevening scholars to our universities, and the number of Latin Americans visiting the UK has nearly doubled. The British Council has expanded its reach fivefold since 2010, impacting over 100 million individuals across the Americas last year.

UK trade and investment with Latin America rebounded strongly last year after the post-pandemic low, with the total value of imports and exports surging by an impressive 45% to over £40 billion.

Yet, with Latin America accounting for only 2% of UK imports and 2.5% of UK exports globally, I acknowledge there remains much work to be done in trade and investment. Our shared strategic emphasis on critical minerals, green hydrogen, and sustainable infrastructure is promising.

The UK’s upcoming accession to the Trans Pacific Partnership, joining Mexico, Peru, and Chile, marks a positive advancement. We hope to soon be joined by Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uruguay.

Last week, the UK concluded the third round of negotiations on a UK-Mexico Free Trade Agreement.

Together, we can amplify our democratic voice advocating for the rules-based international system. We must jointly oppose the systemic threats to these values emerging from various regions worldwide. Furthermore, we should collaborate on climate initiatives, women’s and girls’ rights, green energy, cybersecurity, and advancements in science and technology.

At COP26 in Glasgow, my country pledged £300 million to protect the Amazon. Through our Partnerships for Forests program, which I witnessed just days ago in Colombia, over 62,000 hectares of land are now being managed sustainably across Colombia and Peru.

An additional joint focus is the strategically critical lithium triangle nestled between Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. Rio Tinto’s billion-dollar investment is projected to yield 100,000 tonnes of lithium by 2027, fueling the green battery revolution.

We have assisted Chile in issuing bonds worth more than £21 billion on London’s Sustainable Bond Market. We’ve facilitated $464 million of green finance for Mexico.

Our green hydrogen technology provides Latin American farmers with a cheaper and cleaner alternative to petroleum-based fertilizers, enhancing food security across the board.

As part of our International Women and Girls Strategy, the UK has supported Chevening Alumni in establishing a gender-focused NGO called Hace la Fuerza.

Uniting women from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, we have fostered a community of emerging leaders in Latin America. Advancing women’s rights benefits everyone.

These examples—and many others—demonstrate how collaboration between the UK and Latin American nations can create tangible impacts. This partnership is vital not just for our own security and prosperity, but for that of the entire globe.

There is so much more I envision for us to accomplish together.

Our bilateral joint roadmaps will guide our efforts in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and beyond.

The universal values underpinning the international order are timeless, yet our global multilateral institutions require reform, particularly to amplify Latin America’s voice and influence. The UK stands ready to support Brazil’s bid for permanent membership on the UN Security Council.

We must pursue broader reforms in collaboration with others. The demand for systemic reform of our international financial institutions must gain strength.

Together, we can unlock essential green investments from the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank that this region requires.

The UK government backs the momentum behind Prime Minister Mottley’s Bridgetown Initiative. It is paramount that the most disadvantaged benefit from overdue reforms in international financial institutions.

International tax reform, combined with strict actions against money laundering and illicit finance, will stem funding losses from national treasuries. This is why the UK is providing £20 million for rule of law and anti-corruption reforms in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, along with £2.2 million for tax reform in Brazil.

However, we must not overlook people-to-people connections.

The UK is home to over a quarter of a million Latin Americans, including 71 players in the English Premier League, among them six players from Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad. My team, Arsenal, despite having three remarkable Brazilian players named Gabriel, still couldn’t clinch the league.

Hundreds of thousands of Britons explore this remarkably beautiful region each year.

Spanish is already the second most studied foreign language in British schools, with forecasts indicating it will take the top position soon.

I aspire for your brightest researchers and students to attend the UK’s prestigious universities, and I encourage more British students to travel to Latin America for their studies as well.

We should be ambitious for our future collaboration—not solely for the historical ties of friendship that have unified us for over 200 years, but because we cherish the same core values that inspired the framework of the international order. It can only evolve, endure, and ultimately thrive with the full support and commitment of this remarkable region.

Two centuries ago, Simon Bolivar proclaimed that “the freedom of the New World is the hope of the universe.” Your passion for freedom continues to inspire the world today.

That’s why I have traveled here from London to rekindle old bonds and forge new ones while reaffirming our long-term commitment.

I extend the UK’s support for the issues that matter most to us both. In exchange, I ask for your partnership—as a colleague, and even more importantly, as the representative of this continent’s oldest ally.

Thank you.