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Forum for the Progress and Integration of South America
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 Logo | |||||||
.svg) Member states Suspended member states | |||||||
| Administrative center | Rotational: currentlyAsunción,Paraguay | ||||||
| Official languages | |||||||
| Demonym(s) | South American | ||||||
| Type | International organization | ||||||
| Membership | |||||||
| Leaders | |||||||
• President pro tempore | Santiago Peña | ||||||
| Establishment | Formation | ||||||
• Santiago Declaration | 22 March 2019[2] | ||||||
Website foroprosur | |||||||
TheForum for the Progress and Integration of South America (Spanish:Foro para el Progreso e Integración de América del Sur,PROSUR;Portuguese:Fórum para o Progresso e Desenvolvimento da América do Sul,PROSUL,Dutch:Forum voor de Vooruitgang en Integratie van Zuid-Amerika,FVIZA) is an initiative bySebastián Piñera andIván Duque, for the creation of an integration body to replace theUnion of South American Nations.
In the words of the Colombian president, who made the announcement on 14 January 2019, PROSUR would be "a South American coordination mechanism forpublic policies, in defense ofdemocracy, theindependence of powers, themarket economy, the social agenda, withsustainability and with due application".[3] On 18 February 2019, the President ofChile,Sebastián Piñera, said "this new forum will be open to allSouth American countries that meet two requirements: full validity of therule of law and full respect forfreedoms andhuman rights".[4]
It has been characterised as aright-wing response to the left-wingUNASUR.[5][6]
On April 3, 2022, the new president of Chile,Gabriel Boric, announced that the country was suspending its participation in the alliance.[7][8]Suriname joined the alliance in 2022.[9]
The first PROSUR Summit, called the "Meeting of Presidents of South America", took place on 22 March 2019 inSantiago, Chile. Eight South American countries taking part (Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Colombia,Ecuador,Guyana,Paraguay andPeru) signed theDeclaration of Santiago for the renewal and strengthening of South America, which begins the process of creating of PROSUR. The representatives of Bolivia, Suriname and Uruguay abstained from signing the declaration.[10] Representatives from Venezuela were not invited to the summit in Santiago.[11]
The second PROSUR Summit took place on 12 December 2020; due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, it was heldvirtually. The heads of state of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru participated in the summit, with Prime MinisterMark Phillips of Guyana and PresidentLuis Lacalle Pou of Uruguay invited as special guests. During the summit, the presidency pro tempore was transferred from its inaugural holder, Chilean PresidentSebastián Piñera to Colombian PresidentIván Duque. A presidential declaration was adopted to formalize the transfer and promote regional cooperation between its members in matters related to the pandemic.[12][13]
The third PROSUR summit was held inCartagena de Indias,Colombia on 26–27 January 2022; the 2022 summit of thePacific Alliance was also held at the same date and venue. It was attended by five heads of state; its host President Iván Duque of Colombia, PresidentMario Abdo Benítez ofParaguay, PresidentGuillermo Lasso ofEcuador, Prime MinisterMark Phillips ofGuyana and President Sebastián Piñera ofChile. In representation of their respective countries were Vice-presidentHamilton Mourão ofBrazil and Foreign Minister of PeruÓscar Maúrtua.[14][15] Argentina sent no delegation, while the President-elect of Chile,Gabriel Boric, declined an invitation by President Sebastián Piñera to attend the two summits in Colombia.[16] During the summit,Mario Abdo Benítez succeeded Iván Duque as president pro tempore but attended the summit virtually due to having tested positive for COVID-19.[17][18]
| Year | # | Date | Place | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1st | 22 March | Santiago,Chile | Sebastian Piñera |
| 2020 | 2nd[19] | 12 December | Videoconference | Sebastian Piñera |
| 2022 | 3rd | 27 January | Cartagena,Colombia | Iván Duque Márquez |
There have also been numerous extraordinary meetings;
| Year | # | Date | Place | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1st[20] | 16 March | Videoconference | Sebastian Piñera |
| 2020 | 2nd | 6 April | Videoconference | Sebastian Piñera |
| 2020 | 3rd | 19 May | Videoconference | Sebastian Piñera |
| 2020 | 4th | 27 August | Videoconference | Sebastian Piñera |
| 2021 | 5th | 25 February | Videoconference | Iván Duque Márquez |
| 2021 | 6th | 16 March | Videoconference | Iván Duque Márquez |
The presidency is exercised for a period of one year and will be rotated among the member countries between each PROSUR meeting. Since January 2022, the current president pro tempore of PROSUR is Paraguayan PresidentSantiago Peña.
| No. | President pro tempore | Portrait | Country | Beginning of the mandate | End of the mandate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastián Piñera | .jpg) |  Chile | 22 March 2019 | 12 December 2020 |
| 2 | Iván Duque |  |  Colombia | 12 December 2020 | 27 January 2022 |
| 3 | Mario Abdo Benítez | _(cropped).jpg) |  Paraguay | 27 January 2022 | 15 August 2023 |
| 4 | Santiago Peña | .jpg) | Paraguay | 15 August 2023 | Incumbent |
Media related toForum for the Progress and Integration of South America at Wikimedia Commons
