{"id":1801281,"date":"2025-04-10T03:01:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T01:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/?p=1801281"},"modified":"2025-04-11T02:24:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T00:24:40","slug":"latin-american-leaders-call-economic-integration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/en\/latest-news\/2025-04-10\/latin-american-leaders-call-economic-integration\/","title":{"rendered":"Latin American leaders call for economic integration and reject US migration policies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Tegucigalpa, (EFE).- In a clear message of regional unity and resistance to US economic and migration policies, eleven heads of state from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered Wednesday in Honduras for the 9th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The leaders, including Mexico\u2019s Claudia Sheinbaum, Brazil\u2019s Luiz In\u00e1zio Lula da Silva, and Colombia\u2019s Gustavo Petro, called for greater economic autonomy, integration, and a collective response to Washington\u2019s recent imposition of tariffs and mass deportations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The summit took place amid rising trade tensions following United States President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to impose a 10% tariff on Latin American exports, harsher in cases like Venezuela and Nicaragua, and to intensify deportations of undocumented migrants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum proposed hosting a \u201cSummit for the Economic Well-Being of Latin America and the Caribbean\u201d to build a unified response to external economic pressures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She highlighted the region\u2019s collective strength: over 663 million people, a 6.6 trillion dollars GDP, and abundant natural resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA united region is a stronger region,\u201d Sheinbaum stated, also voicing support for a summit on Haiti and calling for a humanist approach to migration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazil\u2019s President Lula da Silva went further, advocating for increased trade in local currencies to reduce dependence on the US dollar. <\/p>\n\n\n
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He urged reactivating the Latin American Integration Association\u2019s payment system and criticized the fact that only 14% of the region\u2019s trade occurs between CELAC nations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe stronger and more united our economies, the more protected we\u2019ll be from unilateral actions,\u201d Lula said, directly referencing US trade policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen Mexico-Brazil industrial ties through regular meetings between government and industry leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CELAC\u2019s new chair and Haiti\u2019s plea for help<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Colombian President Gustavo Petro assumed the rotating presidency of CELAC with a call for deeper integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLatin America and the Caribbean is life,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe export solutions to global warming, not death.\u201d Petro proposed transforming CELAC into a bloc that speaks to the world from a position of peace and knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, from Haiti, Leslie Voltaire of the transitional presidential council urged CELAC for \u201cactive solidarity\u201d amid a dire security crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Economic unity and a challenge to the Dollar<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
He accused international mafias of fueling violence and requested tangible support in security, healthcare, and technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Widespread rejection of US migration policies <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A dominant theme throughout the summit was rejection of the President Trump-era immigration policies and mass deportations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly all attending leaders condemned the criminalization of migration and the detainment of migrants, some of whom are being held in El Salvador or reportedly sent to Guant\u00e1namo Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n
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President Petro likened shackled deportees to African slaves, questioning whether handcuffing and imprisoning migrants in El Salvador was a solution to climate-driven migration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honduran President Xiomara Castro said Latin American youth, chasing the \u201cAmerican dream,\u201d are now victims of a system that deports them \u2018en masse\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cuban President Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel denounced as well the use of economic coercion and mass deportations, while Bolivia\u2019s Luis Arce warned of \u201cinhuman treatment\u201d and policies that ignore the root causes of migration. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Some leaders, like Mexico\u2019s Sheinbaum and Guatemala\u2019s Bernardo Ar\u00e9valo, took a more moderate tone but still emphasized the need for humanitarian responses that address inequality and lack of opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The summit concluded with an announcement that Colombia will host the fourth CELAC-EU Summit in Santa Marta this November, where Latin American leaders hope to present a united front to Europe in an increasingly polarized global landscape. EFE <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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