The use of the terms Latin America and Latinoamérica has not always been consistent. Before the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous peoples of America had their own names for their territories, such as Abya Yala, used by the Kuna people to refer to the mainland. During the colonial era, the continent was known as Las Indias (The Indies) or Spanish America, a distinction that separated the Spanish colonies from the Portuguese and other colonial powers. After independence in the 19th century, the Creoles, although of diverse origins, began to identify themselves as "Americans" and to differentiate themselves from the peninsulars (those born in Spain), seeking political autonomy.
Throughout the independence struggles, many thinkers, such as Simón Bolívar, attempted to consolidate the idea of continental unity among the Latin American countries, overcoming racial and social differences. Although a single name for the new states was not found, expressions such as Southern America or Hispanic America were used, which emphasized the common heritage of these countries as former Spanish colonies. The term Latin America began to become popular in France in the 1850s, linked to the idea of a cultural heritage shared by Romance-speaking nations and as a contrast to the Anglo-Saxon world.
Throughout the 20th century, Latin America consolidated as a common identity, especially as a response to external interventions, particularly from the United States. This concept acquired a strong sense of cultural and political unity, being embraced by socialist and populist movements, such as the Cuban Revolution, which promoted the integration of the Romance-speaking countries on the continent. Today, Latin America is globally recognized as a geopolitical and cultural term that groups the nations of the region.
Origins and Diffusion of the Denomination "Latin America"
The denomination "Latin America" emerged in the 19th century in a global context marked by the definition of nations and races. Figures such as Alexander von Humboldt highlighted the division of the American continent into three major "races": Anglo-Saxon, Spanish, and Portuguese. The notion of "Latinity" in Ibero-America began to take shape with the work of intellectuals such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Michel Chevalier, who differentiated between the Latin and Germanic races, associating South America with Latin culture. Although Chevalier used the term "Latin America" in 1835, he did not consider it an official name.
José María Torres Caicedo, a 19th-century Colombian, was the one who popularized the denomination "Latin America" from the 1850s onward. In his writings, he argued that "Latin America" represented the unity of the Hispanic American, Portuguese, and French countries, in contrast to the Anglo-Saxon nations of the north. His use of the term did not have anti-Spanish or anti-French connotations, but rather responded to a feeling of common identity based on cultural and linguistic origin.
The diffusion of this idea intensified in a context of growing rejection of the influence of the United States and British imperialism, especially after the loss of territories by Mexico. French intellectuals also played a key role in the affirmation of the "Latinity" of America.
The Latin American Pius College and the Latin American Catholic Identity
In the mid-19th century, the Chilean priest José Ignacio Eyzaguirre proposed the creation of the Latin American Pius College in Rome, seeking to reform the clergy of Latin America. Faced with the lack of training and abuses in the clergy, Eyzaguirre promoted a seminary to train priests with solid theological preparation and loyalty to the Pope. In 1858, he founded the seminary with papal support, which was consolidated over time as the "Latin American College" and, in 1867, was renamed "Pius Latin American College." Eyzaguirre was a pioneer in promoting the idea of a Latin American Catholic Church, linked to "Latinity."
From Centralization to Liberation Theology: The Evolution of the Latin American Catholic Church
The founding of the Latin American Pius College in 1858 by José Ignacio Eyzaguirre was key in the consolidation of the Latin American Catholic Church. This seminary promoted a common identity and loyalty to the Vatican, while a regional sense of unity emerged in the face of national churches and secularism. In the 19th century, the identification with "the Latin" was strengthened, with the Vatican supporting the centralization of Catholicism in Latin America. Over time, the Church became involved with the "social question" and Liberation Theology, although it also faced internal tensions and tensions with the Vatican.
