ABSTRACT
Australia and Latin America are separated by the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, a geographical barrier that has a major impact on the pattern of relations between the two areas. With Australian attention firmly fixed on the Anglo-Saxon world and the commodity market of the People’s Republic of China, Latin America has remained something of a specialist interest for business and policymakers. Nevertheless, the 2000s saw a small flourishing of Australian interest in the Americas. The argument in this chapter is that this niche interest has always been present in Australia, but the ability to translate it into policy action is dependent upon concerted action by an inspired policy entrepreneur and a sense in Canberra that there are economic opportunities to be exploited. Interest in Latin America is consequently, at best, a tertiary concern for the Australian government; a corresponding policy position is generally found in the Americas. The result is a relationship driven by individuals seizing opportunities as they arise against a backdrop of generally benign mutual indifference.
