The Declaration of Buenos Aires, which concluded the VII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), this Tuesday (01/24/2023) reaffirmed the commitment of the region to advance the process of integration in diversity and to end the “blockade ” in Cuba and welcomed the dialogue in Venezuela.
The summit – amid controversy over the invitation to Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, which on various occasions were denounced as undemocratic and violating human rights – reached a consensus reaffirming members’ commitment to “resolutely advance the integration process, promoting unity and political, economic, social and cultural diversity”.
The Forum, in a hundred-point document and eleven special statements, concluded that Latin America and the Caribbean is “fully aware of its projection” and “able to deepen consensus on issues of common interest.”
Celac reiterated the call to the United Nations General Assembly to “end the economic, trade and financial blockade against Cuba” and the “rejection of unilateral lists and certifications” affecting Latin American and Caribbean countries.
She also called for “the exclusion of Cuba from the unilateral list of countries allegedly promoting international terrorism.”
Regarding Venezuela, Celac welcomed “the agreements” reached on November 26, 2022 as part of the dialogue and negotiation process between the government of Venezuela and the opposition Unitary Platform of Venezuela, promoted by the governments of Mexico and Norway.
Absence of the Presidents of Venezuela and Nicaragua
In this sense, he welcomed “the support of the international community for the implementation of the said agreements”.
The Buenos Aires Declaration reiterated Argentina’s “firmest regional support for the legitimate rights” in the sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas Islands.
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, in a subsequent press conference, highlighted the consensus reached to agree on the points of the declaration, which also address issues of commitment to democracy, the full validity of the fact that the region is a zone of peace, the importance of prioritizing a sustainable economic recovery.
The presence of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the brief absence of Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro, who joined that of Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega, shaped the climate of the forum between the political opposition in Argentina and the leaders of the region.
The Latin American and Caribbean countries reiterated that solving the global drug problem requires effective international cooperation while respecting national legislation.
And they recalled the urgency of developed countries to meet their commitment to collectively mobilize $100,000 million per year in climate finance between 2020 and 2025 to support developing countries, while emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation in addressing and reducing disaster risk .
mg (efe, afp)