A few days after returning from Guatemala, Latin America was again high on my agenda last week. I joined the European Parliament’s delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and Fundación Euroamerica to debate how to best advance our cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean. Our discussions concentrated on areas such as the fight against organised crime that operates between our two continents, the digital, green, and social transitions, as well as how to build and maintain the invisible infrastructure that sustains democracies.

The triple transition

In my interactions with leaders from emerging countries, I am often told that what really differentiates us are not different values, but different priorities. In many parts of the world, a stable supply of electricity is not a given and achieving basic literacy remains a challenge. In such an environment, our calls for digital and green transitions often sound outlandish. In many countries, these transitions will only be feasible if they go hand in hand with the fight against inequality and for social inclusion. Neglecting the social transition, while pushing forward technological innovation for the green and digital transitions, may even widen the divide between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'.

Latin American economies have for a long time experienced sluggish growth. The region has immense potential and it could achieve much faster growth by enhancing human capital, bolstering legal security, and by modernising regulatory frameworks; however, it is frequently held back by high levels of poverty, inequality and violence.

A “Zone of Peace” challenged by organised crime and drug violence

This violence is quite paradoxical. The region is characterised by largely peaceful inter-state relations: there have not been any wars between Latin American countries for decades and borders are largely uncontested. It is also the only region in the world that declared itself nuclear-weapon-free back in 1967, with the Treaty of Tlatelolco.  

On the other hand, as highlighted by the latest UN Global Study on Homicide, eight of the ten countries with the highest murder rates worldwide are in Latin America or the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the trend is worsening. For instance, Costa Rica, often referred to as the 'Switzerland of Central America,' used to report annual murder rates in single digits; it now experiences high levels of violence. Similarly, Ecuador has seen its murder rate increase by 95% between 2021 and 2022.

Organised crime and drug trafficking undermine the social fabric and trust in institutions, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates and intensifies corruption and impunity.

At the heart of this violence are organised crime and drug trafficking: it accounts for half of all homicides in the region. The scale of criminal gangs is immense, rivalling smaller countries in GDP and matching, if not surpassing, the state institutions in influence. This undermines the social fabric and trust in institutions, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates and intensifies corruption and impunity. The greater the corruption and impunity, the easier it becomes for trafficking to thrive. Increased trafficking, in turn, leads to more corruption and impunity. This downward spiral ultimately threatens the integrity of states and democracy itself.

Supply and demand – a transatlantic challenge

Last Thursday, I discussed these challenges with the Ecuadorian President, Daniel Noboa. Our conversation focused on how the EU could best support Ecuador's democratic institutions in restoring public order and how to best cooperate in combating the transnational criminal groups that operate across our continents.

Europeans should not think that Ecuador is far away or that those problems do not affect us. The growing demand for narcotics, such as cocaine, on our side of the Atlantic contributes to a vicious circle. Last week, my colleague, Commissioner Johansson, launched the European Ports Alliance to better control the influx of containers at major ports. She explained that there is now more cocaine on the European market than ever before. Last year, a record 120 tonnes were seized in the port of Antwerp, and in Rotterdam a single raid this summer resulted in the confiscation of 8 tonnes. Addressing organised crime and drug-related violence, Commissioner Johansson warned against thinking “that's South America, and it can't happen here”. Because it is already happening: along with drugs, we are importing the associated violence. In the EU, 50% of all homicides are linked to drug trafficking. To halt this violence, we need to intensify our efforts on both sides of the Atlantic.

There is now more cocaine on the European market than ever before. Last year, a record 120 tonnes were seized in the port of Antwerp, and in Rotterdam a single raid this summer resulted in the confiscation of 8 tonnes.

We must strengthen our security cooperation. This includes exchanging more intelligence and facilitating joint operations between Ecuador and European security agencies, with Europol at the forefront. Work is underway to station an Ecuadorian liaison officer at Europol and to finalize an agreement on exchange of personal data between Europol and Ecuador. Moreover, the mayors of Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg, which are Europe’s largest ports, as well as the President of the Belgian Anti-Drugs Commission and the EU’s Service of Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) have scheduled visits to Ecuador.

However, as I discussed with President Noboa, it is crucial not only to address the symptoms but also to tackle the underlying social causes that serve as the breeding ground for the security crisis. If your neighbour goes to bed without dinner, you will not live in security. Equality and social inclusion, and in particular opportunities for young people, are key to security.

It is crucial not only to address the symptoms but also to tackle the underlying social causes that serve as the breeding ground for the security crisis.

Unfortunately, security is all too often sought at the expense of freedom, leading to authoritarian rule by an iron fist. It may seem effective in the short term, but it does not last and often lead to greater problems in the medium term. Latin America and Europe have already succumbed to these temptations in the past with devastating consequences.

In the longer term, democracy is the only system capable of combatting violence effectively by establishing the rule of law and a balance of power as well as by organising public services and social transfers. Our partnership must increasingly encompass fighting organised crime and addressing the social and institutional root causes of violence.

A partner of choice on global challenges

We must focus on these security and social challenges, but we should not overlook the enormous potential of Latin America and the Caribbean in order to achieve global environmental goals and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The region accounts for 60% of terrestrial species and the Amazon alone represents 56% of the world's rainforests. Without the colossal natural richness of the Americas, the world cannot protect its ecological balance and build the sustainable economies of the 21st century. That is why the EU wants to be the region’s partner of choice on issues such as energy, biodiversity, strategic raw materials and fighting climate change. Our ambition is to modernise and strengthen ties with the region in a spirit of partnership, not to create dependencies following the “extractivist” logic of the past.  The countries of the region want to leverage the green and digital transitions to industrialise key sectors and add value at home, while safeguarding the highest sustainability standards.

The EU wants to be the region’s partner of choice on issues such as energy, biodiversity, strategic raw materials and fighting climate change.

The EU is already heavily invested in Latin America’s future. European companies are the main investors in the region, reflecting their long-term commitment and the depth of the ties between our economies and societies. Through the Global Gateway investment agenda, the EU has identified more than 130 projects in the region, to strengthen our connections and build the physical infrastructure the region needs, while accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

However, what unites the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean more than anything else is the desire to live in freedom and dignity. Our cooperation therefore must not only foster growth and prosperity, but also help improve the invisible infrastructure that sustains societies: inclusive governance, the separation of powers, the protection of the rule of law, respect for human rights, social cohesion, women empowerment, and equality. This invisible infrastructure, which is at the core of democratic societies, is even harder to build and maintain than roads, bridges, and ports.