Caritas Latin America and Caribbean explained

Caritas Latin America and Caribbean
Native Name:Cáritas América Latina y el Caribe
Native Name Lang:ESP
Abbreviation:Cáritas LAC
Type:Nonprofit
Focus:-->
Location City:San Jose
Location Country:Costa Rica
Origins:Catholic Social Teaching
Region Served:Latin America and the Caribbean
Fields:development aid, humanitarian aid, social services
Language:Spanish
Owners:-->
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Gustavo Rodríguez Vega
Parent Organization:Caritas Internationalis

Caritas Latin America and Caribbean (Spanish: Spanish; Castilian: Cáritas América Latina y el Caribe|italics=no; Portuguese: Portuguese: Cáritas América Latina e Caribe|italics=no) is a network of Catholic nonprofit organisations active in Latin America and the Caribbean and one of the seven regions of the global Caritas Internationalis confederation.[1]

Its name is used both for the regional secretariat and its network of 22 member organisations, but the secretariat is also known as Spanish; Castilian: Secretariado Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Caritas (SELACC).[2]

Work

The role of Caritas Latin America and Caribbean is to foster peer exchange and learning among its member organisations, and to speak with a unified voice. The secretariat (SELACC) is also engaged in advocacy, for example concerning the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean Summits[3] as well as in the institutional capacity strengthening of its member organisations.[2] [4]

Membership and structure

Unlike other regions of Caritas Internationalis, such as Caritas Europa with its secretariat in Brussels, or Caritas Africa with its secretariat in Lomé, the secretariat of Caritas Latin America and Caribbean is decentralised, albeit legally registered in San José, Costa Rica. This means that the staff is located in the offices of its various member organisations across the continent.

The member organisations are the national Caritas organisations of Latin America. These are subdivided into regional subgroups: Camex for Central America, Caribe for the Caribbean island organisations, Bolivariana for north-eastern South America and Cono Sur for the Southern tip of the continent as well as for Brazil.[5]

The country offices of other Caritas organisations, such as of the American Catholic Relief Services or of Caritas Switzerland, are not members of Caritas Latin America and Caribbean.

List of member organisations

Sub-regionCountryMember organisation
Established
Caribe AntillesCaritas Antilles?
Cono SurCaritas Argentina1956
BolivarianaCaritas Bolivia1958
Cono SurCaritas Brazil1956
Cono SurCaritas Chile1956
BolivarianaCaritas Colombia1956
CamexCaritas Costa Rica1963
CaribeCaritas Cuba1991
CaribeCaritas Dominican Republic1961
BolivarianaCaritas Ecuador1961
CamexCaritas El Salvador1960
CamexCaritas Guatemala1962
CaribeHaiti1975
CamexCaritas Honduras1959
CamexCaritas Mexico1973
CamexCaritas Nicaragua1960
CamexCaritas Panama1970
Cono SurCaritas Paraguay1958
BolivarianaCaritas Peru1955
CaribeCaritas Puerto Rico1969
Cono SurCaritas Uruguay1962
BolivarianaCaritas Venezuela1963

Leadership

Presidents

Regional Coordinators

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Where we work: Latin America & Caribbean . caritas.org . 11 May 2024.
  2. Web site: Informe cuatrienal SELACC 2019-2023.pdf . 11 May 2024.
  3. Web site: A partnership of hope for the good of our peoples and a more fraternal world . 2023 . comece.eu . 11 May 2024.
  4. Web site: Marco estratégico 2024–2031 . caritaslatinoamerica.org . 11 May 2024.
  5. Web site: Cáritas América Latina y el Caribe tiene nuevo presidente . 13 May 2023 . López . Miroslava . vidanuevadigital.com . 11 May 2024.
  6. Web site: AMERICA/HAITI – Continental Caritas Meeting concludes with election of new direction, next meeting in Argentina . 27 March 2007. . 11 May 2024.
  7. Web site: New president of Caritas Latin America elected . 23 July 2012 . . 11 May 2024.
  8. Web site: Caritas on aid in Latin America and Caribbean: Solidarity is our mission . Merlo . Francesco . 23 November 2021 . . 11 May 2024.
  9. Web site: Sacerdote costarricense designado director de un centro del CELAM. . Chaves Leiva . Lisandra . 2 August 2023 . iglesiacr.org . 11 May 2024.
  10. Web site: Bargalló va del Cáritas local al latinoamericano . Uranga . Washington . 26 March 2007 . . 11 May 2024.
  11. Web site: In a global resource struggle, is the EU ready to take Latin America, Caribbean seriously? . 17 July 2023 . . 11 May 2024.