Community of Latin American and Caribbean States | |
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 Logo | |
 Map of the Americas indicating CELAC members: Member countries Claimed territoriesa | |
| Official languages |
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| Demonyms |
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| Membership | 33 member states |
| Leaders | |
 Gustavo Petro | |
| Establishment | February 23, 2010 (2010-02-23) |
| Population | |
• 2011 estimate | 600,000,000[1] |
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TheCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)[a] is a bloc ofLatin American andCaribbean states, consisting of 33 countries, and has five official working languages.[2][3] It is seen as an alternative to theOrganization of American States (OAS), and includes all OAS member states (except the United States and Canada) plus includes the nations ofNicaragua andCuba.[4] Initially proposed on February 23, 2010, at theRio Group–Caribbean CommunityUnity Summit,[5][6][7] CELAC is seen as the successor of theRio Group and the Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development (CALC).[8] CELAC was created to deepenLatin American integration and to reducehegemony within the politics and economics of the region. The date of creation was on December 3, 2011, inCaracas,Venezuela, with the signing of the Declaration of Caracas.[9] As of 2013, CELAC possesses a population of roughly 600 million.[1]
The immediate predecessor of the CELAC is theRio Group. Formed in 1986, it gathered 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries around summits to cooperate regional policy issue independently of theUnited States.[10]
On 16–17 December 2008, theI Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development (CALC) took place in Costa do Sauipe,Bahia,Brazil. It was organized at the initiative of theLula administration with the goal of building cooperation mechanism with greater autonomy from the United States and Canada. Most heads of state from Latin America and the Caribbean states attended, with the exception ofPresident of ColombiaÁlvaro Uribe andPresident of PeruAlan García.[11] The summit finished with the signing of the Bahia Declaration, a common agenda establishing the following priorities: cooperation between mechanism of regional and subregional integration, the2008 financial crisis, energy, infrastructures, social development and eradication of hunger and poverty,food security,sustainable development,natural disasters,human rights promotion,migration,South–South cooperation and Latin America and Caribbean projection.[12][13]
In 2008, theCalderón administration ofMexico proposed the creation of the Latin American and the Caribbean Union (Spanish:Unión Latinoamericana y del Caribe, ULC). The proposal was formalized on 27 March 2009 atRio Group meeting. At the initiative of Mexico, the XXI Rio Summit and the II CALC summit were held together on 22–23 February 2010 inPlaya del Carmen,Mexico. The joint summit was named theLatin American and Caribbean Unity Summit and the 33 attending states decided to create the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which would be formally established in 2011.[14]
Hugo Chávez,Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva andRafael Correa were among the other prominent left-wing leaders who praised the creation of CELAC.[15] In July 2010, CELAC selectedPresident of VenezuelaHugo Chávez andPresident of ChileSebastián Piñera, as co-chairs of the forum to draft statutes for the organization.[16]
The announcement prompted debate and discussion across Latin America and the Caribbean about whether it was more beneficial to have close ties with the U.S. and Canada or to work independently.[17]
An editorial in Brazil'sEstadão newspaper said, "CELAC reflects the disorientation of the region's governments in relation to its problematic environment and its lack of foreign policy direction, locked as it is into the illusion that snubbing the United States will do for Latin American integration what 200 years of history failed to do."[15]
CELAC's inaugural summit was due to be held in mid-2011, but was postponed because of the ill-health ofHugo Chávez, president of the host nation, Venezuela. The summit was instead held on December 2 and 3, 2011, inCaracas.[18] It primarily focused on the global economic crisis and its effects on the region. Several leaders, including presidentsCristina Fernández de Kirchner,Dilma Rousseff andJuan Manuel Santos, encouraged an increase in regional trade, economic development, and further economic cooperation among members in order to defend their growing economies.[19]
Chávez, and other leaders such asRafael Correa andDaniel Ortega, expressed hope that the bloc would work to furtherLatin American integration, end U.S. hegemony and consolidate control over regional affairs.[19] Chávez, citing theMonroe Doctrine as the original confirmation of U.S. interference in the region, openly called for CELAC to replace the OAS: "As the years go by, CELAC is going to leave behind the old and worn-out OAS." Correa called for a new human rights commission to replace theInter-American Commission on Human Rights. Other leaders argued that the organisation should be used as a tool to resolve regional disagreements and uphold democratic values, but not as a replacement of the OAS.[19] Santos stated that he would like to see dialogue within the group over whether existing counter-drug regulations should be revised.[19] The president of theLatin American Parliament (Parlatino) said he expects that Parlatino will become the main legislative institution of CELAC.[20] Amongst the key issues on the agenda were the creation of a "new financial architecture," sanction for maintaining the legal status ofcoca in Bolivia and the rejection of theCuban embargo by the U.S.[21]
United States President Barack Obama's senior adviser on Latin America, Daniel Restrepo, informed reporters from Miami that the U.S. government would "watch and see what direction CELAC takes".[22]
Brazil decided to suspend its participation in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in January 2020 under the administration ofJair Bolsonaro.[23] Following the2022 Brazilian general election, newly elected presidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva signalled his intention to rejoin the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States,[24] and effectively did so in the first days of his administration.[25]
In June 2023, CELAC recognized the Latin American and Caribbean character of the island ofPuerto Rico and “calls on the UN General Assembly to examine the question of Puerto Rico in its entirety and in all its aspects, and rule on this matter as soon as possible”.[1].
The CELAC has six organs:[26]
Thepro tempore presidency is the main representative of the CELAC. The troika is composed by the currentpro tempore presidency, its predecessor, its successor and the presidency of theCARICOM.[26]
The regional body has joint forums that work with external global entities, including China[27][28] and theEuropean Union.
| Summit | Year | Host country | Host city |
|---|---|---|---|
| * | 2010 |  Mexico | Playa del Carmen |
| * | 2011 |  Venezuela | Caracas |
| I | January 2013[29] |  Chile | Santiago |
| II | January 2014[30] |  Cuba | Havana |
| III | January 28–29, 2015[31] |  Costa Rica | Belén, Heredia |
| IV | January 27, 2016[32] |  Ecuador | Quito |
| V | January 24–25, 2017[33] |  Dominican Republic | Punta Cana |
| * | 2018 |  El Salvador | Did not take place |
| * | 2019 |  Bolivia | Did not take place |
| * | 2020 | Mexico | Did not take place |
| VI | 2021 | Mexico | Mexico City |
| VII | 2023 |  Argentina | Buenos Aires |
| VIII | March 1–2, 2024 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Kingstown |
| IX | April 9, 2025 |  Honduras | Tegucigalpa |
TheEU-LAC Foundation chose CELAC to be the main organization representative of the relationship between European and Latin American and Caribbean countries.
During the summit, the region was declared a "peace zone". After three days and with the approval of participating representatives, a document with 83 focus points was created. It emphasized that, despite cultural and regional differences, unity between the participating countries is necessary in order to create progress. "Unity and the integration of our region must be gradually constructed, with flexibility, with respect to differences, diversity, and the sovereign right of each of our countries to choose our own forms of political and economic organization" stated the document. It also states which countries have been developing the best and how they are doing it in order for them to be a model for other countries.
The issue of poverty was widely discussed. Cuba'sRaúl Castro pointed out that throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, people wanted a fairer distribution of wealth, access to affordable education, employment, better salaries, and the eradication of illiteracy. He argued that CELAC countries can work together, support each other, to create new plans and solutions for these problems.[35]
CELAC comprises 33 countries, speaking five different languages:
Eighteen Spanish-speaking countries
Twelve English-speaking countries
OneDutch-speaking country
One French-speaking country
One Portuguese-speaking country
Twelve members are in South America.Portuguese-speakingBrazil suspended its membership in January 2020, alleging that the organization failed to "protect democracy" in member states. The decision was taken during thepresidency ofJair Bolsonaro,[36] who was himself accused of attacking Brazil's democratic institutions.[37] Following the2022 Brazilian general election, newly elected presidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva signalled his intention to rejoin.[24] After taking office Lula reinstated Brazil's membership into the organization.[38]
Member states within the bloc use numerous currencies for internal usage or for trade. Including: theArgentine peso,Bahamian dollar,Barbadian dollar,Belize dollar,Bolivian boliviano,Brazilian real,Chilean peso,Colombian peso,Costa Rican colón,Cuban peso,Dominican peso,Ecuadorian centavo coins,Guatemalan quetzal,Guyanese dollar,Haitian gourde,Honduran lempira,Jamaican dollar,Mexican peso,Nicaraguan córdoba,Panamanian balboa,Paraguayan guaraní,Peruvian sol,Surinamese dollar,Trinidad and Tobago dollar,Uruguayan peso, and theVenezuelan bolívar.[39]
Some initiatives have been made towards shared currencies orcurrency unions,[40][41] including the current existing:Caribbean guilder,Eastern Caribbean dollar, and theSUCRE. Additionally Argentina and Brazil have discussed the formation of a currency called the 'Sur' ("south") for bilateral trade, but this has not moved beyond planning stage.[42][2]. Some CELAC member nations formally use the United States dollar including: (Ecuador and El Salvador). Other nations have made moves to offer their owncentral bank digital currency.
 | This section'sfactual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2024) |
The following table shows various data for CELAC member states, including area, population, economic output and income inequality, as well as various composite indices, including human development, viability of the state, rule of law, perception of corruption, economic freedom, state of peace, freedom of the press and democratic level.
| Country | Area[43] (km2) 2015 | Population[44] 2015 | GDP (PPP)[44] (Intl. $) 2015 | GDP (PPP) per capita[44] (Intl. $) 2015 | Income inequality[44] 1992-2014 (latest available) | HDI[45] 2015 | FSI[46] 2016 | RLI[47] 2016 | CPI[48] 2016 | IEF[49] 2017 | GPI[50] 2016 | WPFI[51] 2016 | DI[52] 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Antigua and Barbuda | 440 | 91,818 | 2,117,532,266 | 23,062 | — | 0.786 | 56.2 | 0.67 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Argentina | 2,780,400 | 43,416,755 | 884,155,392,935 | 20,364 | 42.67 | 0.827 | 48.4 | 0.55 | 36 | 50.4 | 1.957 | 25.09 | 6.96 |
 Bahamas, The | 13,880 | 388,019 | 8,924,827,793 | 23,001 | — | 0.792 | 51.6 | 0.61 | 66 | 61.1 | — | — | — |
 Barbados | 430 | 284,215 | 4,662,763,817 | 16,406 | — | 0.795 | 49.0 | 0.67 | 61 | 54.5 | — | — | — |
 Belize | 22,970 | 359,287 | 3,048,017,325 | 8,484 | 53.26 | 0.706 | 66.0 | 0.47 | — | 58.6 | — | 20.61 | — |
| Bolivia | 1,098,580 | 10,724,705 | 74,577,744,269 | 6,954 | 48.40 | 0.674 | 78.5 | 0.40 | 33 | 47.7 | 2.038 | 31.78 | 5.63 |
 Brazil | 8,515,770 | 207,847,528 | 3,198,897,964,239 | 15,391 | 51.48 | 0.754 | 65.3 | 0.55 | 40 | 52.9 | 2.176 | 32.62 | 6.90 |
| Chile | 756,096 | 17,948,141 | 419,386,742,725 | 23,367 | 50.45 | 0.847 | 41.9 | 0.68 | 66 | 76.5 | 1.635 | 19.23 | 7.78 |
| Colombia | 1,141,749 | 48,228,704 | 666,958,038,483 | 13,829 | 53.50 | 0.727 | 80.2 | 0.51 | 37 | 69.7 | 2.764 | 44.11 | 6.67 |
| Costa Rica | 51,100 | 4,807,850 | 74,976,669,841 | 15,595 | 48.53 | 0.776 | 45.1 | 0.68 | 58 | 65.0 | 1.699 | 11.10 | 7.88 |
| Cuba | 109,880 | 11,389,562 | 132,900,000,000b | 11,600b | — | 0.775 | 66.3 | — | 47 | 33.9 | 2.057 | 70.23 | 3.46 |
 Dominica | 750 | 72,680 | 789,634,652 | 10,865 | — | 0.726 | — | 0.60 | 59 | 63.7 | — | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 48,670 | 10,528,391 | 149,893,354,990 | 14,237 | 47.07 | 0.722 | 70.8 | 0.47 | 31 | 62.9 | 2.143 | 27.90 | 6.67 |
| Ecuador | 256,370 | 16,144,363 | 185,242,693,748 | 11,474 | 45.38 | 0.739 | 75.6 | 0.45 | 31 | 49.3 | 2.020 | 33.21 | 5.81 |
| El Salvador | 21,040 | 6,126,583 | 52,808,578,088 | 8,620 | 41.84 | 0.680 | 72.5 | 0.49 | 36 | 64.1 | 2.237 | 27.20 | 6.64 |
 Grenada | 340 | 106,825 | 1,448,391,593 | 13,559 | — | 0.754 | 63.0 | 0.66 | 56 | — | — | — | — |
 Guatemala | 108,890 | 16,342,897 | 126,206,881,633 | 7,722 | 48.66 | 0.640 | 83.2 | 0.44 | 28 | 63.0 | 2.270 | 38.03 | 5.92 |
 Guyana | 214,970 | 767,085 | 5,769,805,304 | 7,522 | 44.55 | 0.638 | 70.9 | 0.49 | 34 | 58.5 | 2.105 | 27.07 | 6.25 |
 Haiti | 27,750 | 10,711,067 | 18,824,011,297 | 1,757 | 60.79 | 0.493 | 105.1 | — | 20 | 49.6 | 2.066 | 24.66 | 4.02 |
| Honduras | 112,490 | 8,075,060 | 41,144,078,465 | 5,095 | 50.64 | 0.625 | 79.8 | 0.42 | 30 | 58.8 | 2.237 | 44.62 | 5.92 |
 Jamaica | 10,990 | 2,725,941 | 24,785,002,528 | 8,873 | 45.46 | 0.730 | 65.0 | 0.57 | 39 | 69.5 | 2.091 | 12.45 | 7.39 |
| Mexico | 1,964,380 | 127,017,224 | 2,157,817,248,941 | 16,988 | 48.21 | 0.762 | 70.4 | 0.46 | 30 | 63.6 | 2.557 | 49.33 | 6.47 |
 Nicaragua | 130,370 | 6,082,032 | 31,628,389,092 | 5,200 | 47.05 | 0.645 | 79.0 | 0.42 | 26 | 59.2 | 1.975 | 28.82 | 4.81 |
 Panama | 75,420 | 3,929,141 | 87,373,244,561 | 22,237 | 50.70 | 0.788 | 53.2 | 0.52 | 38 | 66.3 | 1.837 | 30.59 | 7.13 |
 Paraguay | 406,752 | 6,639,123 | 61,069,963,183 | 9,198 | 51.67 | 0.693 | 72.6 | — | 30 | 62.4 | 2.037 | 33.63 | 6.27 |
 Peru | 1,285,220 | 31,376,670 | 393,125,472,102 | 12,529 | 44.14 | 0.740 | 72.0 | 0.51 | 35 | 68.9 | 2.057 | 29.99 | 6.65 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 260 | 55,572 | 1,394,199,261 | 25,088 | — | 0.765 | — | 0.66 | — | — | — | — | — |
 Saint Lucia | 620 | 184,999 | 2,024,690,870 | 10,944 | 42.58 | 0.735 | — | 0.64 | 60 | 65.0 | — | — | — |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 390 | 109,462 | 1,219,366,997 | 11,140 | — | 0.722 | — | 0.61 | 60 | 65.2 | — | — | — |
 Suriname | 163,820 | 542,975 | 9,069,126,393 | 16,703 | 57.61 | 0.725 | 66.7 | 0.53 | 45 | 48.0 | — | 16.70 | 6.77 |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 5,130 | 1,360,088 | 45,302,518,908 | 33,309 | 40.27 | 0.780 | 57.8 | 0.57 | 35 | 61.2 | 2.056 | 23.29 | 7.10 |
 Uruguay | 176,220 | 3,431,555 | 72,899,109,557 | 21,244 | 41.60 | 0.795 | 36.2 | 0.72 | 71 | 69.7 | 1.726 | 15.88 | 8.17 |
| Venezuela | 912,050 | 31,108,083 | 542,198,453,528c | 17,665c | 46.94 | 0.767 | 81.6 | 0.28 | 17 | 27.0 | 2.651 | 44.77 | 4.68 |
| CELACa | |||||||||||||
| Country | Area (km2) 2015 | Population 2015 | GDP (PPP) (Intl. $) 2015 | GDP (PPP) per capita (Intl. $) 2015 | Income inequality 1992-2014 (latest available) | HDI 2015 | FSI 2016 | RLI 2016 | CPI 2016 | IEF 2017 | GPI 2016 | WPFI 2016 | DI 2016 |
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| Note: The colors indicate the country's global position in the respective indicator. For example, a green cell indicates that the country is ranked in the upper 25% of the list (including all countries with available data). | ||||||||||||
| Highestquartile | Upper-mid (3rdquartile) | Lower-mid (2ndquartile) | Lowestquartile |
However, at present much of the integration occurs at the governmental, political and policy level as opposed to the personal, individual level, hence Tutor Jamal Henry added his voice to the plea by the Ambassador to have more persons embracing the culture and learning Spanish. CELAC comprises 33 nations making up an estimated population of 600 million people with five official languages. United and integrated the countries of CELAC can be powerful, "together [the 33 nations of CELAC] are the number one food exporter on the planet," further commented Ambassador Febres.
The Community was a Mexican initiative announced in 2012.CELAC's membership is the same as the OAS except that it excludes Canada and the United States and includes Cuba.
The creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States is part of a global and continental shift, characterized by the decline of U.S. hegemony and the rise of a group of regional blocs that form part of the new global balance.
Global governance and identity | |
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| Proposals | |
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| Provisional government | |
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