Crises and regional tensions mark the CELAC Summit in Buenos Aires

The presidents of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) committed on Tuesday to regional integration amid multiple crisis that this part of the world is going throughand celebrated the return of Brazil to the forum.

When inaugurating the meeting with the representatives of 33 nations, Argentine President Alberto Fernández affirmed that “the time has come to make Latin America and the Caribbean a single region that defends the same interests.”

Fernández celebrated the return of Brazil to the political forum at the hands of its three-time president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after his predecessor, the right-wing Jair Bolsonaro, removed the country from the forum three years ago, alleging that it had become a stage that gave prominence to the leftist and “authoritarian” governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

“A CELAC without Brazil is a much emptier CELAC,” said Fernández.

For his part, his Brazilian counterpart, Lula da Silva, said: “Brazil is back in the region and ready to work side by side with all of you.”

Lula took advantage of the event to “thank everyone” for supporting the Brazilian institutions after supporters of former President Bolsonaro they invaded the headquarters of the three powers of the State on January 8 in Brasilia.

More harshly, the host Alberto Fernández accused, in the forum’s opening speech, a “recalcitrant and fascist right” of threatening democracy in the region, referring in particular to the episodes in Brasilia and the assassination attempt on the Argentine vice president, Cristina Kirchner, last year.

Peru, for its part, is going through a deep institutional crisis, after the dismissal of Pedro Castillo, expelled by Congress itself the day it announced that it would dissolve the Legislative.

In this regard, Chilean President Gabriel Boric criticized the current government: “We cannot be indifferent when today in our sister Republic of Peru, with the Government under the command of Dina Boluarte, people who go out to march, to demand what they consider right, they end up shot by whoever should defend them”.

In addition, he said that the situation must be accompanied by an “inclusive dialogue, capable of building democratic governance and ensuring respect for human rights” and described as “unacceptable” the violent acts that have been taking place in the country.

Regarding the attacks in Brasilia, Boric affirmed that democracy is “at risk” in the region, if not in the entire world.

Regional Migration Treaty

In the middle of the Summit, President Gustavo Petro proposed strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System and adopting a regional migration treaty.

“Why don’t we strengthen the Inter-American Human Rights System? From this letter of liberal rights, what must be maintained, do we extend it to environmental rights, women’s rights and last generation collectives? And why don’t we strengthen its judiciary?”, raised the Colombian.

And he added: “Why does there have to be parliamentary coups and violence? Why do popularly elected presidents have to be in prison, when they should be at this table? Here there must be a democratic pact as proposed in 1972. If we came to power from the left, it is not to imprison the right”.

Petro also reiterated his proposal made to his Mexican counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to hold a Latin American and Caribbean conference on migration.

Lacalle Pou’s critique and proposal

As is his custom in each regional forum that he attends, the president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, called for putting aside ideological discussions and moving forward with trade agreements that improve the quality of life of the countries of the region.

“Isn’t it time to open up these relations and for CELAC to promote a free trade zone between our countries? From Mexico to southern South America. Can’t we move forward in that sense?”, raised the center-right Uruguayan president. “Many of our economies are complementary. I’m sure we could make progress in that direction.”

“Let us practice with action what we say in our speeches. In order for this type of forum to subsist over time, they have to generate hope and this is generated on the path traveled, ”he said.

The Uruguayan president also proposed to the Summit to create a free trade zone in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At a press conference after the CELAC plenary session, Lacalle Pou insisted that his country is not “rupturist” and that if his Mercosur partners want to join a Free Trade Agreement with China, he would not object.

The president also made a criticism in his speech, as he pointed out that the declaration of the CELAC summit “speaks of respect for democracy, human rights and care for institutions”; but, as he said, “clearly there are countries here (…) that do not respect institutions, democracy or human rights.”

the absent

The summit, which brings together 14 heads of state of the 33 countries that make up the forum, had some notable absences, such as the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who excused himself this Tuesday for having “enough” work in his country. .

OthersThey were deleted at the last moment, like Nicolás Maduro, who, in a recorded message sent to the forum, criticized what he described as “criminal sanctions” against Venezuela and especially against its oil industry. The Venezuelan president had an appointment on Monday with Lula, who instead kept on the agenda the meeting with Cuban Miguel Díaz-Canel this Tuesday.

Maduro also ratified his proposal to form a “powerful” general secretariat of the regional mechanism that “articulates all the initiatives” of the member countries.

“Our organization must discuss and decide, in due course, the formation of a powerful General Secretariat of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, an organization that articulates all the initiatives of our countries (…) that deals with dignity with the need to articulate them more and more”, proposed e Maduro.

Among the leaders participating in the summit are also Luis Arce (Bolivia), Xiomara Castro (Honduras) and Mario Abdo Benítez (Paraguay).

[Parte de la información para este reporte provino de The Associated Press y Agence France-Presse]

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