Latin America launches new bloc excluding U.S., Canada
CANCUN, Mexico. February 25. KAZINFORM. Latin American and Caribbean countries on Tuesday agreed to launch a new regional group excluding the United States and Canada; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
The new bloc, seen as an alternative to the U.S.-weighted Organization of American States (OAS), is intended to weaken U.S. influence in the region.
It also reflected the common wishes of the Latin American and Caribbean nations of seeking a louder voice and greater role on the global stage.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who proposed the new group, said that the provisional name for the body would be the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
"We have decided to create an organization CELC that includes all the organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean," Calderon said at the closing ceremony of the Group of Rio summit in Cancun.
He said the group decided to base the organization on shared values, including sovereignty and the non-use of force, international cooperation, ever closer integration of Latin America and the Caribbean and permanent political dialogue.
The new organization will help promote the process of regional integration, defend democracy and human rights, and foster cooperation among Latin American and Caribbean countries, the Mexican president said; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.