Final answer:
European countries, influenced by Spanish colonial profits, sought to expand their trade in the West Indies. The Dutch, via the Dutch West Indies Company, effectively challenged Spanish economic control through piracy and smuggling.
Step-by-step explanation:
European nations such as the English, French, and Dutch sought to interfere with Spanish trade in the West Indies during the era of colonial expansion. These nations were inspired by the success of Spain in the Caribbean, particularly due to the lucrative sugar trade and the profits retrieved from other colonial resources. The Dutch, under the Dutch West Indies Company (DWIC), were particularly adept at undermining Spanish economic power through a combination of aggressive tactics including plundering Spanish merchant shipping, attempting to capture Spanish treasure fleets, and running highly successful smuggling operations within Spanish ports.
Furthermore, the Dutch temporarily controlled parts of Brazil and established themselves as an economic force in the region. Despite these initial victories, Spanish control would eventually rebound, but the Dutch remained to control six small islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Meanwhile, other European nations like France and England were establishing their own colonies and promoting mercantilism, often by settling their own population and exploiting both natural resources and trade routes. Political efforts to establish rival colonies by the French in Spanish Florida and Dutch attempts in Brazil were less successful than their economic interference, which together significantly challenged Spanish dominance in the Caribbean.