Liberal Partnerships and Capacity-Building

The chapter explains the EU–Latin American relationship through the concepts of liberal partnership and capacity-building. Liberalism encompasses a broad spectrum of policies and choices that fall within the overarching premises of liberalism. The convergence of liberal partnerships facilitates cooperation when progress is experienced on specific issues and the relationship aligns to promote collaboration. When the level of disagreement dominates, partnerships diverge. Considering the content and direction of EU policies toward Latin America, the idea of capacity-building well encapsulates the EU's position in the region. The European Union offers many tools and resources to Latin American countries to enhance their performance in a wide range of areas from environmental protection to trade facilitation and elections.