Latin America's Shifting Positions on Western Sahara

A Former Stronghold of Solidarity

For decades, left-leaning Latin American governments embraced the Sahrawi cause as an extension of anti-colonial and Third World solidarity, and several were among the earliest to recognize the SADR. Panama, for instance, recognized it in 1978.

That ideological alignment gave the Polisario a durable base of diplomatic support across the region, reinforced at multilateral forums and through ties between governing parties sympathetic to liberation movements.

A Wave of Withdrawals

The trend has reversed sharply. In September 2023 Peru withdrew recognition of the SADR, and in October 2024 Ecuador did the same. Panama suspended relations with the front, redirecting support toward the UN-led search for a political solution.

More recently, governments including Bolivia and Honduras moved to suspend their recognition, part of a broader pattern of capitals conducting sovereign reviews of policies built on older premises and re-evaluating ties with Rabat and Algiers.

Who Still Backs the SADR

A smaller core of Latin American states still maintains ties with the front, among them Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, often reflecting longstanding ideological commitments.

Even here, the trajectory favours Morocco. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signalled support for Morocco's autonomy plan, a notable shift given Brazil's regional weight and traditional non-aligned posture.

Drivers of the Shift

Several factors explain the realignment: growing Western endorsement of the autonomy plan, active Moroccan diplomacy and investment outreach, and a pragmatic recalculation by governments weighing economic and diplomatic benefits.

For Morocco, Latin America's drift is strategically valuable. Each withdrawal chips away at the SADR's claim to broad international legitimacy and strengthens Rabat's argument that the autonomy plan is the emerging global consensus.

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