The field of heritage diplomacy is still little known. Comparatively, it can be observed that in Latin America, Brazil in particular has developed consistent leadership in other multilateral arenas considered “high politics” or of greater strategic return, where there is a clear definition of national interests, mobilization of specialized diplomatic resources and construction of international narratives of leadership. In the heritage sphere, however, action tends to be reactive, concentrated on nominating assets to international lists or on technical participation in committees, without being articulated into a broader vision of international engagement. From the theoretical perspective of soft power, this marginality reveals a paradox. Cultural heritage constitutes a privileged resource of symbolic influence, capable of strengthening a country’s international image; however, the absence of systematic integration between heritage diplomacy and global strategy suggests underuse of this asset. This is why the relevance of this topic is introduced here, as in this symposium we will address cases that show how much heritage diplomacy can become a relevant asset for Latin American diplomacy. But why propose a symposium on the theme of heritage diplomacy in Latin America? Various studies have delved into the mechanisms of cultural diplomacy, external cultural diplomacy, and external cultural diplomacy (believe it or not, these are not the same thing) and soft power in international relations, but the focus on heritage diplomacy is, so to speak, something new. It can be said that heritage diplomacy is the ugly duckling of Latin American multilateral diplomacy, despite the high symbolic potential it holds. Unlike agendas such as international trade, climate change, global governance reform or South-South cooperation, cultural heritage rarely appears as an explicit priority in the strategic documents of Latin American foreign ministries or as a systematic instrument of international projection. From an institutional standpoint, heritage diplomacy is characterized by fragmentation and low decision-making centrality. This weakness undermines the consolidation of a long-term cultural foreign policy, making it difficult to formulate coordinated strategies that integrate heritage, sustainable development, tourism, the creative economy and soft power. For these reasons, this symposium proposal aims to gather examples of heritage diplomacy in the region, positioning this theme as one of the most promising in the international heritage field.
