Community of Latin American and Caribbean States explained

Symbol Type:Logo
Symbol Width:250px
Membership:33 member states
Languages Type:Official languages
Leader Title1:President pro tempore
Population Estimate:600,000,000
Population Estimate Year:2011
Footnote A:Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are claimed by Argentina.
Conventional Long Name:Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is a regional bloc of Latin American and Caribbean states proposed on February 23, 2010, at the Rio Group–Caribbean Community Unity Summit,[1] [2] [3] and created on December 3, 2011, in Caracas, Venezuela, with the signing of the Declaration of Caracas.[4] It consists of 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and has five official languages.[5]

CELAC was created to deepen Latin American integration and to reduce the significant influence of the United States on the politics and economics of Latin America. It is seen as an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS), a regional body that was founded by United States and 21 other Latin American nations in 1948 as a countermeasure to potential Soviet influence in the region.[6] [7] Cuba, which was suspended from the OAS in 1962 and has since refused to rejoin, is a member of CELAC.[6]

CELAC is the successor of the Rio Group and the Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development (CALC).[8] In July 2010, CELAC selected President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez and President of Chile Sebastián Piñera, as co-chairs of the forum to draft statutes for the organization.

History

2008–2010: Brazil and Mexico initiatives

See also: Rio Group, I Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development and Latin American and Caribbean Unity Summit. The immediate predecessor of the CELAC is the Rio Group. Formed in 1986, it gathered 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries around summits to cooperate regional policy issue independently of the United States.

On 16–17 December 2008, the I Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development (CALC) took place in Costa do Sauipe, Bahia, Brazil. It was organized at the initiative of the Lula administration with the goal of building cooperation mechanism with greater autonomy from the United States and Canada. Most heads of state from Latin America and the Caribbean states attended, with the exception of President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe and President of Peru Alan García. The summit finished with the signing of the Bahia Declaration, a common agenda establishing the following priorities: cooperation between mechanism of regional and subregional integration, the global financial crisis, energy, infrastructures, social development and eradication of hunger and poverty, food security, sustainable development, natural disasters, human rights promotion, migration, South–South cooperation and Latin America and Caribbean projection.[9]

In 2008, the Calderón administration of Mexico proposed the creation of the Latin American and the Caribbean Union (Spanish: Unión Latinoamericana y del Caribe, ULC). The proposal was formalized on 27 March 2009 at Rio Group meeting. At the initiative of Mexico, the XXI Rio Summit and the II CALC summit were held together on 22–23 February 2010 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The joint summit was named the Latin American and Caribbean Unity Summit and the 33 attending states decided to create the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which would be formally established in 2011.

Hugo Chávez, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Rafael Correa were among the other prominent left-wing leaders who praised the creation of CELAC.[10]

The announcement prompted debate and discussion across Latin America and the Caribbean about whether it was more beneficial to have close ties with the U.S. and Canada or to work independently.

Raúl Zibechi, writing for Mexico's center-left La Jornada newspaper said, "The creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States is part of a global and continental shift, characterized by the decline of U.S. hegemony and the rise of a group of regional blocs that form part of the new global balance."[11]

An editorial in Brazil's Estadão newspaper said, "CELAC reflects the disorientation of the region's governments in relation to its problematic environment and its lack of foreign policy direction, locked as it is into the illusion that snubbing the United States will do for Latin American integration what 200 years of history failed to do."[10]

2011: Founding

See main article: 2011 CELAC summit. CELAC's inaugural summit was due to be held in mid-2011, but was postponed because of the ill-health of Hugo Chávez, president of the host nation, Venezuela. The summit was instead held on December 2 and 3, 2011, in Caracas.[12] It primarily focused on the global economic crisis and its effects on the region. Several leaders, including presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Dilma Rousseff and Juan Manuel Santos, encouraged an increase in regional trade, economic development, and further economic cooperation among members in order to defend their growing economies.[13]

Chávez, and other leaders such as Rafael Correa and Daniel Ortega, expressed hope that the bloc would work to further Latin American integration, end U.S. hegemony and consolidate control over regional affairs.[13] Chávez, citing the Monroe Doctrine as the original confirmation of U.S. interference in the region, openly called for CELAC to replace the OAS: "As the years go by, CELAC is going to leave behind the old and worn-out OAS." Correa called for a new human rights commission to replace the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Other leaders argued that the organisation should be used as a tool to resolve regional disagreements and uphold democratic values, but not as a replacement of the OAS.[13] Santos stated that he would like to see dialogue within the group over whether existing counter-drug regulations should be revised.[13] The president of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) said he expects that Parlatino will become the main legislative institution of CELAC.[14] Amongst the key issues on the agenda were the creation of a "new financial architecture," sanction for maintaining the legal status of coca in Bolivia and the rejection of the Cuban embargo by the U.S.[15]

United States President Barack Obama's senior adviser on Latin America, Daniel Restrepo, informed reporters from Miami that the U.S. government would "watch and see what direction CELAC takes".[16]

Brazil decided to suspend its participation in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in January 2020 under the administration of Jair Bolsonaro.[17] Following the 2022 Brazilian general election, newly elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signalled his intention to rejoin the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States,[18] and effectively did so in the first days of his administration.[19]

In June 2023, CELAC recognized the Latin American and Caribbean character of the island of Puerto Rico and “calls on the UN General Assembly to examine the question of Puerto Rico in its entirety and in all its aspects, and rule on this matter as soon as possible”.http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2023/06/24/onu-reafirma-el-derecho-de-puerto-rico-a-su-libre-determinacion-e-independencia/.

Member states

CELAC comprises 33 countries, speaking five different languages:Eighteen Spanish-speaking countries

Twelve English-speaking countries

One Dutch-speaking country

One French-speaking country

One Portuguese-speaking country

Twelve members are in South America. Portuguese-speaking Brazil suspended its membership in January 2020, alleging that the organization failed to "protect democracy" in member states. The decision was taken during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro,[20] who was himself accused of attacking Brazil's democratic institutions.[21] Following the 2022 Brazilian general election, newly elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signalled his intention to rejoin.[18] After taking office Lula reinstated Brazil's membership into the organization.[22]

Indicators

See also: United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The following table shows various data for CELAC member states, including area, population, economic output and income inequality, as well as various composite indices, including human development, viability of the state, rule of law, perception of corruption, economic freedom, state of peace, freedom of the press and democratic level.

Country Area[23]
(km2)
2015 		Population[24]
2015 		GDP (PPP)
(Intl. $)
2015 		GDP (PPP)
per capita
(Intl. $)
2015 		Income
inequality
1992-2014
(latest available) 		HDI[25]
2015 		FSI[26]
2016 		RLI[27]
2016 		CPI[28]
2016 		IEF[29]
2017 		GPI[30]
2016 		WPFI[31]
2016 		DI[32]
2016
440 91,818 2,117,532,266 23,062 0.786 56.2 0.67
2,780,400 43,416,755 884,155,392,935 20,364 42.67 0.827 48.4 0.55 36 50.4 1.957 25.09 6.96
13,880 388,019 8,924,827,793 23,001 0.792 51.6 0.61 66 61.1
430 284,215 4,662,763,817 16,406 0.795 49.0 0.67 61 54.5
22,970 359,287 3,048,017,325 8,484 53.26 0.706 66.0 0.47 58.6 20.61
1,098,580 10,724,705 74,577,744,269 6,954 48.40 0.674 78.5 0.40 33 47.7 2.038 31.78 5.63
8,515,770 207,847,528 3,198,897,964,239 15,391 51.48 0.754 65.3 0.55 40 52.9 2.176 32.62 6.90
756,096 17,948,141 419,386,742,725 23,367 50.45 0.847 41.9 0.68 66 76.5 1.635 19.23 7.78
1,141,749 48,228,704 666,958,038,483 13,829 53.50 0.727 80.2 0.51 37 69.7 2.764 44.11 6.67
51,100 4,807,850 74,976,669,841 15,595 48.53 0.776 45.1 0.68 58 65.0 1.699 11.10 7.88
109,880 11,389,562 132,900,000,000b 11,600b 0.775 66.3 47 33.9 2.057 70.23 3.46
750 72,680 789,634,652 10,865 0.726 0.60 59 63.7
48,670 10,528,391 149,893,354,990 14,237 47.07 0.722 70.8 0.47 31 62.9 2.143 27.90 6.67
256,370 16,144,363 185,242,693,748 11,474 45.38 0.739 75.6 0.45 31 49.3 2.020 33.21 5.81
21,040 6,126,583 52,808,578,088 8,620 41.84 0.680 72.5 0.49 36 64.1 2.237 27.20 6.64
340 106,825 1,448,391,593 13,559 0.754 63.0 0.66 56
108,890 16,342,897 126,206,881,633 7,722 48.66 0.640 83.2 0.44 28 63.0 2.270 38.03 5.92
214,970 767,085 5,769,805,304 7,522 44.55 0.638 70.9 0.49 34 58.5 2.105 27.07 6.25
27,750 10,711,067 18,824,011,297 1,757 60.79 0.493 105.1 20 49.6 2.066 24.66 4.02
112,490 8,075,060 41,144,078,465 5,095 50.64 0.625 79.8 0.42 30 58.8 2.237 44.62 5.92
10,990 2,725,941 24,785,002,528 8,873 45.46 0.730 65.0 0.57 39 69.5 2.091 12.45 7.39
1,964,380 127,017,224 2,157,817,248,941 16,988 48.21 0.762 70.4 0.46 30 63.6 2.557 49.33 6.47
130,370 6,082,032 31,628,389,092 5,200 47.05 0.645 79.0 0.42 26 59.2 1.975 28.82 4.81
75,420 3,929,141 87,373,244,561 22,237 50.70 0.788 53.2 0.52 38 66.3 1.837 30.59 7.13
406,752 6,639,123 61,069,963,183 9,198 51.67 0.693 72.6 30 62.4 2.037 33.63 6.27
1,285,220 31,376,670 393,125,472,102 12,529 44.14 0.740 72.0 0.51 35 68.9 2.057 29.99 6.65
260 55,572 1,394,199,261 25,088 0.765 0.66
620 184,999 2,024,690,870 10,944 42.58 0.735 0.64 60 65.0
390 109,462 1,219,366,997 11,140 0.722 0.61 60 65.2
163,820 542,975 9,069,126,393 16,703 57.61 0.725 66.7 0.53 45 48.0 16.70 6.77
5,130 1,360,088 45,302,518,908 33,309 40.27 0.780 57.8 0.57 35 61.2 2.056 23.29 7.10
176,220 3,431,555 72,899,109,557 21,244 41.60 0.795 36.2 0.72 71 69.7 1.726 15.88 8.17
912,050 31,108,083 542,198,453,528c 17,665c 46.94 0.767 81.6 0.28 17 27.0 2.651 44.77 4.68
CELACa
Country Area
(km2)
2015 		Population
2015 		GDP (PPP)
(Intl. $)
2015 		GDP (PPP)
per capita
(Intl. $)
2015 		Income
inequality
1992-2014
(latest available) 		HDI
2015 		FSI
2016 		RLI
2016 		CPI
2016 		IEF
2017 		GPI
2016 		WPFI
2016 		DI
2016
Highest quartileUpper-mid (3rd quartile)Lower-mid (2nd quartile)Lowest quartile

Organization

See also: Pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The CELAC has six organs:[33]

The pro tempore presidency is the main representative of the CELAC. The troika is composed by the current pro tempore presidency, its predecessor, its successor and the presidency of the CARICOM.[33]

Forums

The regional body has joint forums that work with external global entities, including China[34] [35] and the European Union.

Summits list

CELAC Summits
Summit Year Host country Host city
2010 Playa del Carmen
2011 Caracas
January 2013[36] Santiago
January 2014[37] Havana
January 28–29, 2015[38] Belén, Heredia
January 27, 2016[39] Quito
January 24–25, 2017[40] Punta Cana
2018 Did not take place
2019 Did not take place
2020 Did not take place
2021
VII2023

2013 Summit – Chile

See main article: 2013 CELAC summit. The EU-LAC Foundation chose CELAC to be the main organization representative of the relationship between European and Latin American and Caribbean countries.

2014 Summit – Cuba

See main article: 2014 CELAC summit. During the summit, the region was declared a "peace zone". After three days and with the approval of participating representatives, a document with 83 focus points was created. It emphasized that, despite cultural and regional differences, unity between the participating countries is necessary in order to create progress. "Unity and the integration of our region must be gradually constructed, with flexibility, with respect to differences, diversity, and the sovereign right of each of our countries to choose our own forms of political and economic organization" stated the document. It also states which countries have been developing the best and how they are doing it in order for them to be a model for other countries.

The issue of poverty was widely discussed. Cuba's Raúl Castro pointed out that throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, people wanted a fairer distribution of wealth, access to affordable education, employment, better salaries, and the eradication of illiteracy. He argued that CELAC countries can work together, support each other, to create new plans and solutions for these problems.[41]

2015 Summit – Costa Rica

See main article: 2015 CELAC summit.

2016 Summit – Ecuador

See main article: 2016 CELAC summit.

2017 Summit – Dominican Republic

See main article: 2017 CELAC summit.

2021 Summit – Mexico

See main article: 2021 CELAC summit.

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mexidata (English) March 1, 2010 . Mexidata.info . 2012-05-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426015931/http://www.mexidata.info/id2573.html . April 26, 2012 . mdy-all .
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20190609074022/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AML_GEN_CUMBRE_SPLA-?SITE=WFMZ&SECTION=ASIA&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-02-23-11-44-02 Acuerdan crear Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños
  3. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/America/Latina/crea/OEA/Estados/Unidos/elpepuint/20100223elpepuint_1/Tes América Latina crea una OEA sin Estados Unidos
  4. Web site: L. American leaders officially sign CELAC into effect as new bloc . https://web.archive.org/web/20111208024408/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-12/04/c_131286548.htm . dead . December 8, 2011 . December 4, 2011 . news.xinhuanet.com . 2013-01-28.
  5. News: IVCC encouraging bilingualism and cultural integration . Kerri . Gooding . . Advocate Co. . December 26, 2011 . However, at present much of the integration occurs at the governmental, political and policy level as opposed to the personal, individual level, hence Tutor Jamal Henry added his voice to the plea by the Ambassador to have more persons embracing the culture and learning Spanish. CELAC comprises 33 nations making up an estimated population of 600 million people with five official languages. United and integrated the countries of CELAC can be powerful, "together [the 33 nations of CELAC] are the number one food exporter on the planet," further commented Ambassador Febres. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120512133927/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=21759 . May 12, 2012 .
  6. Web site: Mexico gives birth to the Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States – MercoPress . En.mercopress.com . 2016-05-05.
  7. News: uake Overshadows Clinton Tour of Region. The New York Times. March 2010 . 2016-05-05. Thompson . Ginger . Barrionuevo . Alexei .
  8. http://www.ideal.es/agencias/20100223/mas-actualidad/internacional/presidentes-constituyen-comunidad-estados-latinoamericanos_201002231745.html Presidentes constituyen la Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños
  9. Web site: Declaración de Salvador, Bahía. 17 December 2008. es.
  10. http://worldmeets.us/estadao000026.shtml In Latin America, Rhetoric Triumphs Over Reality
  11. Raúl Zibechi Latin America's Inexorable March Toward 'Autonomy from the Imperial Center' La Jornada, Mexico, via translation by WorldMeets.US (English) February 26, 2010
  12. News: Latin American summit re-run to test Chavez health. December 2, 2011. Reuters. November 30, 2011.
  13. News: Rueda, Jorge. James, Ian . Toothaker, Christopher . . Leaders at Americas talks: world economy top worry. December 3, 2011. Seattle pi. Hearst Communications Inc..
  14. News: Parlatino Interested in Being CELAC Legislative Organization. December 2, 2011. Prensa Latina.
  15. Web site: Obama in Cartagena: No change, dwindling hope – Opinion . Al Jazeera English . 2012-05-25.
  16. News: Christopher Toothaker . CELAC, Community of Latin American And Caribbean States, New Organization Aims To Strengthen Regional Integration . Huffingtonpost.com . 2013-10-25 . December 2, 2011.
  17. News: Brazil sits out leftist Latin American nations' body on anti-democracy fears . Reuters . 16 January 2020 . en.
  18. Web site: Lula's government plan. 23 November 2022. Superior Electoral Court. pt. November 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221102003420/https://divulgacandcontas.tse.jus.br/candidaturas/oficial/2022/BR/BR/544/candidatos/893498/5_1659820284477.pdf. dead.
  19. News: Retorno do Brasil à CELAC . pt.
  20. Web site: Brazil sits out leftist Latin American nations' body on anti-democracy fears. 2020-01-16. 2020-01-18. Reuters.
  21. News: Human Rights Watch says Bolsonaro a threat to democracy in Brazil – report. 13 January 2022. Reuters.com. 13 January 2022 .
  22. Web site: Regional Re-engagement: Understanding Brazil's Return to CELAC . MIR . 20 March 2023.
  23. Web site: World Development Indicators . . March 23, 2017.
  24. Web site: World Development Indicators . . July 9, 2012 . 2012-07-11.
  25. Web site: Human Development Report 2016. . 2017-03-21.
  26. Web site: Fragile States Index 2016 . . 2016-06-28 . September 14, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204213240/http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/rankings-2016 . February 4, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
  27. Web site: Rule of Law Index 2016 . . 2016-10-20.
  28. Web site: Corruption Perceptions Index 2016 . . 2017-01-25.
  29. Web site: Country Rankings: World & Global Economy Rankings on Economic Freedom . . 2017-02-15.
  30. Web site: Global Peace Index 2016 . Vision of Humanity . 2016-06-08.
  31. Web site: 2016 World Press Freedom Index . . 2016-04-20.
  32. Web site: Democracy Index 2016 . . PDF . 2017-01-25.
  33. Book: Bernal-Meza, Raúl. Modelos o esquemas de integración y cooperación en curso en América Latina (UNASUR, Alianza del Pacífico, ALBA, CELAC): una mirada panorámica. 2013 . Ibero-American Institute. es. 15–17. 978-3-935656-53-5.
  34. Web site: China-CELAC Agreement Could Bolster Infrastructure Development In Latin America . Staff writer . February 13, 2022 . OilPrice.com . 16 February 2022 .
  35. Web site: China – CELAC Joint Action Plan For Cooperation In Key Areas (2022–2024) . Staff writer . December 7, 2021 . Latin America & the Caribbean . Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China . February 16, 2022 .
  36. Web site: CELAC-EU summit opens in Chile – Business News . SINA English . 2013-10-25.
  37. Web site: Dilma viaja a Cuba para segunda Cúpula da Celac e inaugurar Muriel – Notícias – R7 Internacional . Noticias.r7.com . August 23, 2012 . 2016-05-05.
  38. Web site: Equipos técnicos preparan los primeros documentos para Cumbre de la CELAC. January 25, 2015 . 2015-01-25.
  39. http://www.andes.info.ec/es/noticias/compromiso-hermanos-reune-mandatarios-celac-ecuador.html “Compromiso de hermanos” reúne a mandatarios de Celac en Ecuador
  40. Web site: The Fifth Summit of CELAC concluded with the approval of the Santo Domingo Declaration. EU–LAC Foundation. 25 January 2017. 10 July 2019.
  41. Web site: Conclusiones de la Cumbre de la CELAC 2014 en Cuba : AGRO Noticias. Fao.org. 2016-03-08.

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