Latin American Leaders To Participate In CELAC Summit

On Jan. 24, Latin American leaders will participate in the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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At this meeting, the CELAC countries will elect a new Pro Tempore President for their organization, a position currently held by Argentine President Alberto Fernandez.

So far, Presidents Luis Arce (Bolivia), Nicolas Maduro (Venezuela), and Lula da Silva (Brazil) have confirmed that they will attend the meeting.

On the other hand, Presidents Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador), Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (Mexico), and Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua) they will not attend the CELAC meeting.

On Monday, Maduro stressed that Latin America currently experiences a new stage of change that will strengthen regional political and economic integration.

"The summit is going to be a good opportunity for listening to the voice of our peoples and leaders," the Bolivarian leader said, highlighting the importance of the voice of President Lula da Silva, who reincorporated Brazil into CELAC.

On Jan. 23, before the CELAC summit, the Brazilian president will meet with Fernandez to sign a bilateral agreement to promote energy, agro-industrial, cultural, and tourist development.

The agreement also contemplates the creation of the “Sur," a common currency to facilitate trade between both nations and allow Argentina to avoid using dollars to pay for imports.

Despite the benefits of this agreement for the Argentine people, national right-wing politicians have been rejecting the CELAC summit and some of its guests.