Elizabeth Morgan | Outcome of 9th CELAC Summit, Honduras

The 9th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC) was held last week (April 9) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, hosted by its President Xiomara Castro, the president pro tempore for 2024-2025. This summit was referenced in this column on January 22 in an article titled, ‘The Western Hemisphere in this new Trump era’. It seems to have passed with sparse media coverage.

The CARICOM region, it is understood, was represented at the level of Head of Government from St Vincent and the Grenadines, past CELAC president. Other CARICOM countries represented were The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS

The president of Honduras, in her opening address, is reported to have said that maintaining this space in the midst of fragmentation and siege has been difficult, but it was necessary to show that the region continued to work for unity, as the continent of hope and political diversity. She was quoted saying that “Celac is not a perfect organisation, but it is ours. It was born from a dream, an ideal, and a utopia of our liberators and founding fathers: the Latin American integration in the face of the great powers, and that this dream of unity and of a greater homeland is more urgent than ever today, as the old neoliberal order imposed on our countries collapses and the great powers like the United States redraw their economic map without asking which countries are left behind …”.

The president is also reported as expressing certainty that CELAC will not only overcome its challenges but will keep alive the dreams of the revolutionaries and peoples who never gave up.

At this Summit, President Castro handed over the CELAC pro tempore presidency to the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, for the 2025-2026 period. She spoke of the importance of keeping CELAC alive amid the tense global situation caused by the US trade war.

DELIBERATIONS

Reporting indicates that the CELAC members addressed a wide range of geopolitical issues facing the region and the world, including international trade, as well as working for the deepening of regional integration.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, apparently announced plans to organise a “summit for the economic well-being of Latin America and the Caribbean”.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the matter of current US trade policy and its impact in the region, calling for unity. Brazil is the current chair of the BRICS forum and will host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) this year.

The Tegucigalpa Declaration concluded with what was described as a “sufficient consensus” as 30 of the 33 member states gave their approval. Those not signing were Argentina, Nicaragua and Paraguay. A copy of the declaration was not found.

The media reports indicate that, among other things, signatories to the Declaration:

· Reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening CELAC as the political coordination mechanism that integrates all the countries and is based on the heritage of declarations adopted at previous summits;

· Reaffirmed the will to continue political dialogue to deepen CELAC’s cooperation ties with other countries and regional groups. CELAC is scheduled to meet with China, the European Union, the African Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council;

· Underscored the importance of arranging joint interventions by CELAC in multilateral forums on issues of common interest;

· Rejected the imposition of unilateral coercive measures contrary to international law, including those restricting international trade; and

· Reiterated their commitment to maintaining the region as a Zone of Peace.

NEXT UN SECRETARY GENERAL

The members noted that it would be the turn of Latin America and the Caribbean to nominate a candidate for the post of UN secretary general, as the term of the current secretary general ends in 2026. Of the nine secretaries general to date, only one has been from the region and a woman has not yet held the post. Suggestions have already come from countries, and, it may be recalled, that The Gleaner has suggested that Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados would be a good candidate.

CELAC UNITY

A lack of unity in CELAC was demonstrated in what appears to be the failure to achieve consensus in the adoption of the Tegucigalpa Declaration. The President of Honduras, in her address, seemed to point to the differences in the organisation. Various countries pose challenges within the group, such as Argentina, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Venezuela. Guyana, Haiti, Mexico and Panama are confronted with other specific challenges in this moment.

Given the current global state of discontent, one would have hoped to see a firmer display of unity within CELAC, with greater commitment to strengthening partnerships.

CELAC, indeed, continues to be a region of hope – hope for unity in a time of crises and change.

We wait to see what will emerge under the presidency of Colombia.

Elizabeth Morgan is a specialist in international trade policy and international politics. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com