The Limits and Contributions of the EU to Democracy in Latin America: The Cases of Mexico, Venezuela and Honduras

Abstract

While most of the analyses have focused on the interregional relations or on the relationship between the EU and individual Latin American countries, the impact of the EU on Latin American policies has received lesser attention. This chapter examines the contributions and impact of the EU to the improvement of democracy in Latin America. Theoretically, the paper discusses three stages for the study of EU norm-diffusion in Latin American countries. The first is the setting for diffusion of norms, the second is the strength of positive and negative conditionality, and the third is the conditions of the norm-takers to embrace the orientation of EU values, to develop a sense of ownership and to enhance the dialogue with the EU. Depending on the sub-region or the country in Latin American, the EU norm-diffusion policies have a diverse impact on the internalization of democratic values, practices of rule of law and human rights. The chapter is divided into three sections. After reviewing the analytical framework of diffusion of norms, the paper provides an overview of the EU-Latin American relationship; the third section presents the empirical analysis of three contrasting cases: Mexico, Venezuela and Honduras.