Rio Group supports new organization for Latin American integration

CANCÚN, Mexico - The 24 countries that took part in the Rio Group Summit agreed to create a "community of Latin American and Caribbean states," a regional bloc that would not include the United States or Canada.

This new group does not have a name, but would be an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS).

The new organization aims at improving nations' diplomatic relationships and intends to give Latin America stronger representation when it is involved with other international organizations or faces decisions on how to handle economic, political, social, territorial and environmental problems, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes.

The Rio Group, along with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), announced they collectively will donate US$25 million to earthquake victims in Haiti.

The Rio Group also trumpeted the signing of the "Cancún Declaration," which promotes integration and cooperation in the areas of energy, science, technology, education, migration, climate change, natural disasters, poverty and drug trafficking.

But not everything about the summit was positive. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Colombian President Álvaro Uribe made international news when they engaged in a war of words.

Uribe condemned Venezuela's embargo to Colombian products, to which Chávez responded: "You sent paramilitary troops to kill me."

Uribe denied the accusation.

Chávez threatened to leave the summit, prompting Uribe to say: "Be a man. These issues are addressed at these venues. You are brave talking from far away and a coward to talk face-to-face."

Chávez, however, remained at the conference and was sorry the incident happened, describing it as "pitiful," but claiming it had not damaged the overall meeting. He said the argument "brought [Venezuela and Colombia]" closer.

Meetings like the Rio Group Summit cannot solve the region's problems in a few days, but they are good to establish cooperation mechanisms for nations to tackle conflictive issues, said Kenia María Ramírez Meda, a social and political sciences professor at Mexico's autonomous university of Baja California (UABC).

The creation of an organization parallel to the OAS would be a positive because an organization that integrates Latin American countries is needed, Ramírez Meda said.

"Regardless of the political discussions [between Uribe and Chávez]," she said, "we can say that the result of this meeting is positive."

http://infosurhoy.com

<< back to Company News