The groups of people who did not come from Spain to settle in Latin America include:
- Indigenous peoples : The original inhabitants of Latin America, such as the Aztecs, Maya, Inca, Arawak, Tainos, and Tupian peoples, were native to the region long before Spanish arrival
- Africans : Millions were forcibly brought to Latin America through the transatlantic slave trade as enslaved laborers, not as voluntary settlers. Their descendants form significant populations in countries like Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti
- Portuguese : They colonized Brazil, which was divided from Spanish territories by the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. Portuguese settlers brought their language and culture to Brazil, distinct from Spanish influence
- Other European groups : French, Dutch, and British settlers established colonies in parts of the Caribbean and northern South America (e.g., French in Haiti and French Guiana; Dutch in Suriname; British in Guyana)
- Other immigrant groups : Later migrations included Italians, Germans, French, Greeks, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Croats, Irish, Jews, Armenians, and Arabs from the Middle East (Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian), as well as Asian laborers from China, South Asia, and Indonesia, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries
- Basques : Although part of Spain, Basques formed a distinct ethnic group with a significant diaspora that influenced colonial Latin America, often migrating due to demographic pressures in their home regions
In summary, while Spanish settlers were the primary European colonizers of much of Latin America, many other groups-indigenous peoples, Africans brought by the slave trade, Portuguese in Brazil, other European colonizers, and diverse immigrant populations-did not come from Spain but significantly shaped the region's demographic and cultural landscape