With the foundation three years ago
of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States (CELAC), the dreams of a region, which for
years had been deferred, re-emerged. Great
challenges and great hopes are both a reality for
the new regional organization. Its success depends
on the degree to which the 33 member countries, all
south of the Río Bravo, are able to focus on the
search for unity, despite their differences.
Time has shown that only by
following the route of unity emphasized by our
forefathers, without denying the rich diversity
which differentiates us, will the reality of Latin
America and the Caribbean be changed and our true,
definitive independence secured.
When, in 2008, regional leaders sat
down to discuss unity and draft the first outline of
what CELAC would become, they did so committed to
change the face of the planet’s most unequal region,
which paradoxically possesses the world’s greatest
reserves of natural resources - the object of
foreign powers’ voracious appetite, leading to
centuries of struggle. They did so to change the
present and future of the 600 million who inhabit
the region’s 20 million square kilometers.
Cuba’s national hero, José Martí,
said in 1891, "The peoples who don’t know each other
must hastily do so, like those who will be fighting
together." This fight is no longer against colonists
who came across the Atlantic in droves, to impose
their way of life, but rather against the
inequalities which hold us back, against a common
enemy always looking for opportunities to again
subject us to domination and dependence. CELAC’s 33
nations are committed to emphasizing what we have in
common, to move toward the creation of a structure
of our own.
Many accomplishments have been
achieved in the social and economic arenas as a
result of policies implemented by governments
devoted to improving citizens’ living conditions and
the positive experiences of regional alliances such
as ALBA, Petrocaribe, Mercosur, Unasur and Caricom,
which have made an important contribution to the
development of collaborative solidarity and
complementary economic policies across the region.
Nevertheless, there is much work to
do in Latin America and the Caribbean to rise above
our dependent, neoliberal past. CELAC has,
therefore, proposed action plans directed toward
establishing Latin American and Caribbean sovereign
control of resources, to ensure that sustainable
development is achieved.
This region which possesses the
world’s third largest economy, a fifth of the
planet’s oil reserves and the greatest biological
diversity, is also the most unequal, with 164
million persons living in poverty, including 68
million in extreme poverty.
The launching of CELAC in December
2011 changed forever the geopolitical map of the
region. An organization now existed, focused on
strengthening international relations through a
multilateral system which respects national
sovereignty and self-determination.
The Community has made a commitment
to respect the equality of states; to reject threats
and the use of force; to abide by international law;
to promote human rights and democracy, while moving
forward with a shared regional agenda within
international forums. The organization was founded
with the intention of respecting currently existent
integration efforts, not replacing them, as all are
working toward a common objective.
Cuba, as CELAC pro tempore
president, has undertaken the group’s work
respecting each and every one of the principles
established in the Declaration of Caracas, fully
conscious that the organization is precisely the
instrument the region needs to resolve differences,
just as President Raúl Castro said at the 2011
founding summit in Venezuela.
The emergence of CELAC is recognized
as the most important institutional event in Latin
America and the Caribbean over the last century, the
realization of the dreams of unity, justice and
sovereignty held by the great men and women of these
lands.
The fact that the region has its own
voice, and this voice is gaining attention on the
complex world stage, is, in and of itself, a great
step forward.
As the Community of 33 nations is
preparing for the Havana Summit, January 28-29, the
strengths developed over the last few years are
evident. Also evident are the enormous challenges
which must be faced, many of them inherited from the
past. The shared commitment to meet these challenges
reflects the new times in Our America. To paraphrase
a great leader, the peoples of Latin America have
said, "Enough" and begun to move.
January 22, 2014
