Italy and Latin America
Latin America comprises 20 countries, is home to approximately 8% of the world’s population, and generates about 5% of global GDP. In 2024, 2,562,007 Italian citizens registered with AIRE lived in the region, while trade exceeded €33 billion. Italy has a strong diplomatic and consular network in this region, comprising 18 Embassies and 16 Consulates.
Italy gives Latin America a prominent place in its foreign policy, due to its historical, social, cultural, and political ties, as well as the many Italian communities and companies present in the region. With a view to strengthening this privileged relationship, the Italy-Latin America Institute (IILA) (Istituto Italo – Latino Americano) was established in 1966 by a specific agreement. This international organization, whose members include Italy and the twenty Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela), aims to promote cooperation with the region. Thanks to the collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the IILA, the Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conference is convened every two years, as the main forum for Ministerial-level dialogue with the Latin American and Caribbean regions.
Italy has traditionally paid close attention to Latin America, and in recent years, these relations have been revitalized significantly, as evidenced by the intensification of institutional visits, and synergies established within the multilateral framework (Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico are members of the G20) and with key regional organizations (OAS, CELAC, ECLAC, MERCOSUR, SICA).
Relations with Latin America are also being revitalized within Europe, thanks to a series of bilateral and regional political dialogue mechanisms, primarily the EU-CELAC Summits, convened every two years alternately in Europe (Brussels) and Latin America. Euro-Latin American relations have been further strengthened by the Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA), an EU initiative that promotes sustainable investment and quality infrastructure in partner countries.
Italy and the Caribbean
The English-speaking Caribbean region comprises 10 island states (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as Trinidad and Tobago), in addition to three States bordering on the Caribbean Sea (Belize, Guyana, and Suriname), which are all members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and included in the internationally recognized category of Small Island Development States (SIDS). These countries have an estimated population of nearly 8 million.
Italy maintains relations with the Caribbean countries through secondary accreditations entrusted to the Embassies in Brasilia, Mexico City, Panama, Santo Domingo, and Washington, and a network of Honorary Consulates. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) established the position of Special Envoy for the Caribbean Countries several years ago. This Special Envoy periodically visits the region and maintains stable institutional contacts with the countries in the region.
Italy also maintains stable relations with two regional organizations, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), in which Italy is accredited as an Observer Country. With a view to revitalizing Italian action in the Caribbean region, visits and political meetings have increased in recent years, and Caribbean government officials frequently participate in the Italy-Latin America and Caribbean Conferences. Relations focus on issues of mutual interest such as the environment, sustainable development, and the fight against organized crime.
In 2022, Italy and CARICOM renewed the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of sustainable development, signed by eleven Caribbean countries. Under this Memorandum, funding is provided for projects aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change, developing energy from renewable sources, and building green and sustainable infrastructure. Furthermore, in 2022, Italian Development Cooperation promoted an agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to provide a concessional credit line to CARICOM countries, to be used for projects in the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation, with a focus on agriculture, energy, and integrated water and coastal zone management.