The president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, and the president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, agreed this Thursday to promote the reactivation of the Central American Integration System (SICA). After more than two hours of meeting at the Costa Rican Presidential House, located in San José, the leaders said that in the face of threats such as climate change and insecurity, it is necessary to reactivate the regional mechanism that has had the General Secretariat vacant since November 2023.
Castro said that the objectives of her visit to Costa Rica are to achieve bilateral agreements, but also to promote SICA as an instrument that allows the union of member countries to jointly face the challenges in the region. “We have decided in this meeting with President Rodrigo Chaves to convene our Central American counterparts to reactivate SICA again. The expectations that I brought from this meeting have been fulfilled and I hope, President, to receive you in Honduras as I have been received in your country,” said the Honduran president.
During her speech, Chaves pointed out that what happens in one country in the region affects others and highlighted the importance of cooperation. “If we don’t work together, the destination is not necessarily going to be as prosperous,” she said.
The Costa Rican president added that he welcomes and supports Castro’s call for the presidents that make up the organization to meet and said that details will be given soon. “Count on me, I support you, I will go (…) Count on the support of Costa Rica for this purpose,” Chaves emphasized.
Until November 2023, Nicaraguan Werner Vargas served as secretary general of SICA to cover the period 2022-2026, proposed by the Daniel Ortega regime. Since his resignation the position remains vacant.
Honduras is about to complete the pro tempore presidency of the organization that began in January. The turn follows to Nicaragua and then to Costa Rica, according to Chaves said this Thursday.
The country that exercises the pro tempore presidency has the function of coordinating the work of the governments, bodies and institutions of the System, to guarantee the continuous development of the regional integration agenda, according to the SICA website. SICA was established in December 1991 and became operational in February 1993. Currently, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic are full member states. (https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2024/06/20/honduras-costa-rica-reactivar-sistema-integracion-centroamericana-orix/)
