Latin America–United Kingdom relations are the diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between the United Kingdom and the countries of Latin America.
England and Great Britain had long-standing interests in colonial Latin America, including privateering, the slave trade (and its abolition), and founding their own colonies in the West Indies. Britain supported the independence of the Latin American colonies from Spain around 1820, and developed extensive trade and financial relationships with most of the newly independent countries, opening shipping lines and building railways. After the Spanish–American War of 1898, American financial interests increasingly played a role in the diplomatic relations. Traditional British business interests continued until most of its regional assets were sold in 1914–1918 to pay for the British war effort during the First World War.
After 1820, British military involvements were minimal in the region. A boundary squabble with Venezuela in the 1890s turned dangerous when the United States intervened; there were no profound issues involved and the dispute was soon permanently resolved.
The United Kingdom operated a programme of covert action in Latin America in the 1960s. There was a short successful war to expel an Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982.
Colonial era
In the colonial era of Latin America before 1820, England and Great Britain was allied with Portugal, and maintained friendly diplomatic relations with Portugal's colony in Brazil. Despite this, English privateers launched attacks on Brazilian ports, such as Santos in 1591.
However, there was often serious hostility with Spain.Adrian Finucanem, The Temptations of Trade: Britain, Spain, and the Struggle for Empire (2016) Independent English privateers frequently attacked Spanish interests, and dreamed of somehow attacking and seizing the annual Spanish fleet that brought gold and silver back to Spain. The 16th century, Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake were leading privateers. In the 17th century the Caribbean was a favourite target, especially 1655 two 1670 on Spanish ships and Spanish towns. In various wars, English privateers seized bases in Spanish Jamaica and other Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, and buccaneers established a foothold on the mainland in Central America. In 1671, Welsh privateer Henry Morgan sacked and burned Panama City, looting its treasures of gold, silver and jewels, but overlooking the golden altar, which had been painted over to disguise its value. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, Morgan raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming wealthy as he use the prize money gained to purchase three large sugar plantations.
British merchants handled most of the trade between Europe and Latin America, due to few Spanish or Portuguese merchants being in competition. By 1824 as Spain left the region about 90 British commercial houses were operating in the former Spanish colonies, with a concentration in Buenos Aires.Dorothy Burne Goebel, "British Trade to the Spanish Colonies, 1796–1823' American Historical Review 43#2 (1938), pp. 288–320 online Already in 1810 there were 200 in Brazil.Manuel Llorca-Jaña, "British Merchants in New Markets: The Case of Wylie and Hancock in Brazil and the River Plate, c. 1808–19." Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 42.2 (2014): 215–238. The Atlantic slave trade had significant British participation until the British outlawed it in 1807, and in 1833 abolished slavery in all its colonies. Spain granted exclusive rights to the British South Sea Company to supply slaves to its colonies. The South Sea Company simultaneously engaged in illegal commercial trade as well, and once Spain tried to stop it the result was the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear that dragged on for a decade after 1739. The war began after Welsh merchant Robert Jenkins was seized by Spanish sailors who cut off his ears. The British captured Porto Bello in November 1739. Governor James Oglethorpe of Georgia led an attack on St. Augustine, Florida, in 1740; Spain retaliated with an attack in St. Simon's Island, Georgia.Ignacio Rivas, Mobilizing Resources for War: The British and Spanish Intelligence Systems in the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1744) (2010). The failed attempt to take Cartagena de Indias in 1743 marked their defeat in the War of Jenkins' Ear, which lead to the British withdrawing to focus naval efforts on their North American wars (1775–1783) and resulting in the Anglo-Spanish War in the Americas (1779–1783). British maritime activity in the late 1790s became more aggressive and began actively gaining territory in the Caribbean (see Trinidad remained Spanish until 1797) to enable greater British mercantile trade in the area. At the time, they also furthered their interest against Spain, (see the Black Legend).
During the Napoleonic Wars of 1801–1815, Spain was controlled by Napoleon and its colonies were now a potential target for the Royal Navy. The great British naval victory at Trafalgar in October 1805 decisively gave control of the oceans to the British, and ended Napoleonic overseas dreams.John Francis Bannon and Peter Masten Dunne, Latin America: an historical survey (1947) pp 320–25.Ben Hughes, The British Invasion of the River Plate 1806–1807: How the Redcoats Were Humbled and a Nation Was Born (2014).
After that the Admiralty decides the invasion of the Viceroyalty of River Plate. British Admiral Home Riggs Popham launched an invasion of the Spanish colony of La Plata (modern-day Argentina). Popham had an army of 1500 men, who quickly captured the fort at Buenos Aires, capturing the city of 55,000 inhabitants. Argentine creoles (that is, native-born men of Spanish descent) mobilized their local and nearby forces, including 1,000 soldiers from the nearby city of Montevideo. They overpowered the British, who surrendered on August 14, 1806. In response London sent new armies to Buenos Aires and Valparaiso. The second British attack came in 1807, as British General John Whitelocke brought 12,000 soldiers for his invasions of Montevideo and Buenos Aires. The decisive battle came in June 1807; the Argentines were outnumbered 12,000 to 9,000. They nevertheless prevailed and the British again surrendered. Meanwhile, Napoleon invaded Portugal, and the Royal Navy rescued the royal family taking it to Brazil.
Independence era after 1820
The French invasion of Spain conducted by Napoleon in 1808 looking the Spain colonies to gain independence, the Venezuelan Junta formed in Caracas by 1810 was the first Junta to engage in diplomacy to gain ties to Great Britain. This opened a fierce military conflict over control of the Spanish colonies. By 1818, Spain had regained control of all of its colonies. Suddenly starting in 1819, with the return of Simón Bolívar from exile Spain's power collapsed and one after another succeeded in breaking away, except for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Admiral Thomas Cochrane was the most prominent of some 10,000 British mercenaries hired to organize the ad hoc armies and navies fighting for independence from Spain. Cochrane organised and led the rebel navies of Chile and Brazil and helped Peru as well.Moises Enrique Rodriguez, Freedom's Mercenaries: British Volunteers in the Wars of Independence of Latin America (2 vol. 2006) online review.Brian Vale, “British Sailors and the Brazilian Navy, 1822–1850,” Mariner's Mirror 80#3 (1994): 312–25.
The independence of Latin American countries after 1826, opened lucrative prospects for London financiers despite the crash of 1825. The region was gravely devastated by the wars of independence, and with weak financial systems, weak governments and repeated coups and internal rebellions. However, the region had a well-developed export sector focused on the foods that were in demand in Europe, especially sugar, coffee, cocoa, wheat and (after the arrival of refrigeration in the 1860s), beef. There also was a well-developed mining sector. With the Spanish out of the picture, the region in the early 1820s was a devastated region suffering in a deep depression. It urgently needed capital, entrepreneurs, financiers, and shippers. Britain rushed in to fill the void by the middle 1820s, as the London government used its diplomatic power to encourage large-scale investment, and the Royal Navy provided protection against piracy. The British established communities of merchants in major cities—including 3,000 Britons in Buenos Aires.R.A. Humphreys, "British Merchants and South American Independence," Proceedings of the British Academy (1965), Vol. 51, pp151-174 online. London financiers purchased £17 million in Latin American government bonds, especially those of Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico. They invested another £35 million in 46 stock companies set up to operate primarily in Latin America. The bubble soon burst, but the survivors operated quietly and profitably for many decades. In the 1820s–1850s, over 260 British merchant houses operated in the River Plate or Chile, and hundreds more in the rest of Latin America.J.F. Rippy, The Evolution of international Business 1800–1945: vol 1: British Investments in Latin America, 1822–1949 (1949) p 17.Manuel Llorca-Jaña, "The organisation of British textile exports to the River Plate and Chile: Merchant houses in operation, c. 1810–59." Business History 53#6 (2011): 821–865. The Latin American market was important for the cotton manufacturers of Lancashire. They supported the independence movement, and persuaded the British government to station commercial consuls in all the major trading centers in Latin America. the British were permanently committed, and it took decades – until the 1860s – before the commercial and involvement paid serious dividends. By 1875, Latin America was firmly integrated into transatlantic economy under British leadership. After 1898, the British had to compete commercially with the Americans.Ronald Hyam, Britain's Imperial Century 1815–1914 (2002) pp 57–61
In a long-term perspective, Britain's influence in Latin America was enormous after independence came in the 1820s. Britain intentionally sought to replace the Spanish in economic and cultural affairs. Military issues and the establishment of new colonies were minor factors. The influence was exerted through diplomacy, trade, banking, and investment in railways and mines. The English language and British cultural norms were transmitted by energetic young British business agents on temporary assignment in the major commercial centers, where they invited locals into the British leisure activities, such as organized sports, and into their transplanted cultural institutions such as clubs and schools.Alina Silveira, "Educating a City's Children: British Immigrants and Primary Education in Buenos Aires (1820–1880)." The Americas 70#1 (2013): 33–62. The impact on sports was overwhelming, as Latin America enthusiastically took up football (soccer). In Argentina, rugby, polo, tennis and golf became important in middle-class leisure. Cricket was ignored. The British role never disappeared, but it faded rapidly after 1914 as the British cashed in their investments to pay for their Great War, and the United States moved into the region with overwhelming force and similar cultural norms.Oliver Marshall, ed. English-Speaking Communities in Latin America (2000).
Confrontations