Honors Program
Honors Program: Theses
First Advisor
Daniel Schaub, PhD
Date of this Version
Spring 3-31-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
Groeteke, G. 2025. Beyond Empire: Spain's Contemporary Relationship with Latin America. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract
The relationship between Spain and Latin America demands critical attention, not only due to its colonial past but also in light of shifting global power structures and growing generational demands for accountability from historically oppressive states. This study takes its form in a literature review to synthesize the evolving postcolonial dynamic between Spain and the Latin American region—whose long-run development and capacity for economic independence have been fundamentally shaped by colonization. Drawing on postcolonial theory, historical context, international relations, foreign policy, and primary sources, this paper argues that Spain’s modern entanglement with Latin America reflects a neocolonial pattern. Spain’s economic interests remain deeply embedded in the region, reinforcing a structure of dependency that privileges the former colonizer at the expense of its former colonies.
Included in
Economic Policy Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, International Relations Commons, Political Theory Commons
Comments
Copyright Gage Groeteke 2025.