Introduction

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the reflections published in Latin American Foreign Policies towards the Middle East: Actors, Contexts, and Trends in 2016, however in renewed and challenging times. It proposes to update the study of interregional connections considering the drastic changes in local and international contexts since 2015. The book argues that despite challenging contexts and political turnover, various continuities remain in Latin American and Caribbean relations with the Middle East, particularly regarding trade and finance interests and enduring diasporic connections with the Arab world in most of the cases. It surveys the dealings of ten Latin American and Caribbean states – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela – with the Middle East. The book focuses on the Cuban case, written by a colleague working from La Habana.