Latin American and Caribbean countries called for more international financing in the region in the wake of the economic and climate crisis in a final statement on Tuesday after a summit in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires.
“We have stressed the need for international regional financial institutions, such as the multilateral development banks, to enhance credit facilities through clean, fair, transparent and accessible mechanisms,” the document said.
The 111-point “Declaration of Buenos Aires” from the seventh Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) described how the impact of COVID-19, climate change and the war in Ukraine had affected the region.
“We express our concern that several countries have emerged from the pandemic with higher levels of public debt,” it said.
The statement also stressed the importance of democracy across the region, expressed support for negotiations between the Venezuelan government and its opposition, and called on the United States to lift its blockade on Cuba.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a recorded message saying he decided not to attend because of “permanent conspiracies, the constant threat, calculated ambushes.”
Meanwhile, the presence of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the summit marked his first trip abroad since taking office on January 1, as well as Brazil’s return to CELAC after his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro left the community.
Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou was a dissenting voice, urging leaders not to have a one-sided vision in line with their ideology, saying, “There are countries here that do not respect democracy, nor institutions, nor human rights.”
He did not name any nation.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines was elected to hold the rotating presidency of CELAC for 2023. (https://canadatoday.news/ca/latin-america-and-the-caribbean-call-for-more-international-funding-at-celac-summit-242095/)
Source: Reuters
