The left-wing governments of Latin America need “strategic unity” and their “efforts must be collective, intergenerational and long term,” said former Uruguayan President Jose Mujica Tuesday at a special conference in Havana, Cuba.
Mujica traveled to Havana this week to participate in two conferences, the II International Conference as well as the Casa de Las Americas, a Cuban initiative founded after the revolution with the purpose of developing social and cultural relations with other Latin American and Caribbean countries.
In a special roundtable discussion, Mujica criticized left-wing governments in the region for not achieving their goals, saying “we could and should have gone further.”
The comments come as some Latin American countries have seen right-wing parties come to power after years of being governed by progressive movements, including Argentina and Venezuela, while Brazil lies in a questionable state.
ANALYSIS: The New Contours of Latin America's Right
“The agenda for integration, we have not embraced very well. It is not the fault of the right, it is our impotence,” said Mujica, emphasizing that progressive movements must take the time to reflect on their policies and keep fighting.
Mujica was joined at the II International Conference, titled “With all and for the good of all,” by former Colombian President Ernesto Samper and former President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernandez.
WATCH: Inside the Americas – Argentina’s Right Wing Hides True Aims