Latin America appeals to pragmatism in search of union, vital in the face of the new world order

Panama City.- To Latin America and the Caribbean, a “region that has it all but lacks a lot”, it’s time to stop managing failure and to act in favor of a “possible regionalism” guided by pragmatism, a vital step to face the new order towards which the world is advancing, stated this Wednesday heads of State and Government of the region gathered in Panama. This was the central reflection of the leaders of Panama, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, and the elected ruler of Chile during their speeches at the inauguration of the second edition of the Latin America and the Caribbean International Economic Forum, organized by the regional development bank CAF.

Union Beyond Ideologies

Latin America and the Caribbean, with 615 million inhabitants and marked inequality and low productivity, has the obligation to overcome the fragmentation fueled by ideological positions and move towards a coordination that allows it, in the first place, to give a better life to its citizens and also to be a relevant actor, with an audible voice in the world, the leaders pointed out.

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The Brazilian president and reference of the Latin American left, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, criticized that the countries of the region allowed “ideological disputes” to prevail, said that doctrines such as Bolivarianism are “insufficient” and that the model of the European Union is “unviable” in this part of the American continent, and spoke of a “possible regionalism” that seeks to combat poverty and inequality. «Governments of all stripes have failed, and this is transversal (…) the time has come to cross borders, not only ideological, but also national», said the president-elect of Chile, the far-right José Antonio Kast, who called for «a lasting, effective and uninhibited cooperation» to overcome the situation.

The New World Order

In the world «a new international order is being sought, further from idealism and closer to realist diplomacy», said the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, who warned about a scenario of «imposition of the factual power of each country» that «breaks the balance in the face of the immense asymmetries that exist».

“We are part of a strategic region, a food producer, with water reserves, with the greatest biodiversity, with an abundance of minerals and also renewable resources,” Mulino emphasized, and in that context asked the region to “form as a single block, because only in this way will it have negotiating power and concrete power against possible threats.”

In a world marked by uncertainty, “we need to resort to dialogue to understand the transformations and guide them,” highlighted the President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo.

“Today the southern hemisphere, today Latin America, has to make the decision to participate and be part of the command and of the geopolitical and geoeconomic forces for the transformation worldwide, let’s make the decisions, that’s what needs to be done,” added the President of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz.

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The Growth Potential of Latin America

“Vulnerability is not our destiny. Our region possesses what the world needs and in an increased manner,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who asked the region to deepen economic ties and show itself to the world as “a coherent hemisphere.” If countries work together, Latin America can grow close to 5%, above the predictions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa. «South America and the Caribbean have four times more clean energy potential than what the United States’ energy matrix demands in a year«, highlighted the Colombian ruler, Gustavo Petro, who proposed to the region «a fundamental pact for life and freedom in the Americas».