Staff writer Denise Mota
Caribbean and Latin America are, indeed and finally, one single “universe” after the recent creation of CELAC – Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
The evaluation comes from Antonio Simões, Latin America and Caribbean assistant secretary at Itamaraty (Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations). “There used to be an artificial mechanism that consisted of putting Latin America at one side and Caribbean at another. We are all developing countries, and the idea is that from now on, with CELAC, we can go onward, all of us, together”, said the diplomat in an interview to Brazilian government channel NBR TV.
The bloc had its start this month, with a first summit in Venezuela which gathered the leaders of 33 countries, on 2nd and 3rd December.
A symbol of unity
“Nowadays, our international reality is not anymore of a region in economic crisis, as it used to be in the 80´s. Our region now collaborates to solving crises generated by the developed world”, he commented. “It was necessary to have a new organization, in which countries of the region could work on cooperation and the way to improve the social situation of their people.”
Brazil and Caribbean leaders at CELAC
The newborn institution, a junction of Rio Group (founded in 1986) and CALC (Latin America and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development, created in 2008), congregates strictly nations of both regions, without USA and Canada.
In their declaration, the heads of State and government agreed to work together in social, environmental, energetic, financial and commercial areas.
Next summit, in 2012, will take place in Chile. Cuba will host 2013 CELAC reunion and in 2014 the event will be held in Costa Rica.
Portuguese version here
To read full declaration, either in Portuguese or in English, click: here
