Caracas, 17 October.  After 25 years of existence the reasons that gave rise to the Latin American Economic System (SELA) remain relevant. Therefore, all efforts should be made to preserve the existence of the single regional consultation and coordination forum that groups all of the Latin American and Caribbean nations.

 

The former Permanent Secretaries of this organization who participated in the panel “25 Years of SELA: Mission and Prospects” held today in the framework of the XXVI Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council of SELA in Caracas, agreed on this point.

 

The panel was convened by the current Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Otto Boye of Chile, to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of SELA, an organization that groups 28 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, founded on 17 October, 1975 with the signing of the Panama Convention whose purpose was to set up a regional consultation, coordination and cooperation forum.

 

“Today’s international economic order differs from people’s aspirations 25 years ago, but challenges, problems and circumstances make it imperative to accentuate coordination, consultation and the concerting of joint positions,” said Mr. Jaime Moncayo, economist of Ecuador who was SELA’s first Permanent Secretary (1975-1979).

 

Moncayo pointed out that after the fire that destroyed SELA’s headquarters in February 1998, the organization has been in a crisis situation “which calls for its relaunching and renewal in view of the international circumstances in which Latin America seemingly has new opportunities.”

 

On his part, Carlos Alzamora, diplomat of Peru, who held the post of Permanent Secretary from 1979-1983, warned that in Latin America and the Caribbean there are revived efforts to further integration.  Some examples of this are the Brasilia Summit convened by President Fernando Enrique Cardoso and the proposal of the President-elect of Mexico, Vicente Fox, to move forward with an integration project among the countries of Central America and the southern Mexican states.

 

In light of these proposals “a definition is urgently needed for the region and for its sole representative body, SELA, which must be uniquely regional in order to fulfill its mandate and satisfy the needs of Latin America, because with centrifugal and fragmentary forces, there will be no Latin America,” noted Alzamora.

 

In this regard, Venezuelan economist, Sebastián Alegrett, Permanent Secretary of SELA from 1983-1987, voiced his concern with respect to the way Latin America and the Caribbean is being perceived abroad; it would appear that there are “two Latin Americas: one attached to the United States’ economic engine and the other, the one that is in the South.” 

 

“I believe it is not SELA that is in crisis. What does exist is a Latin American crisis that is reflected in institutions such as SELA,” stated Alegrett who added that the reality and international context “will require Latin Americans to be more united than ever before,” and that entities such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) have begun to admit that the “regional effort is more productive than the individual effort.”

 

“That is why a desperate effort needs to be made for the recovery of SELA, which will not come about magically; a great deal of political motivation on the part of the countries is needed,” emphasized Alegrett.

 

The following speaker, the Mexican Ambassador, Salvador Arriola, the Permanent Secretary of SELA from 1991-1995 warned that while the industrialized countries translate their interests vis-à-vis issues such as globalization into cooperation and coordination tools, in Latin America and the Caribbean “the institutional framework appears to be weak and non-cohesive in comparison with the challenges that globalization imposes on our economic sovereignty.”

 

Arriola added that in the face of inflexibility of multilateral organizations, Latin Americans continue to behave “like the ancient Christians, fighting against beasts with neither spear nor shield and listening to the voice in the Coliseum shouting for a clean fight.”

 

The last speaker, the international specialist of Argentina, Carlos Moneta, who was at the helm of the Permanent Secretariat of SELA from 1995-1999, referred to the role that should be played by institutions in new regionalization and globalization processes.  In this regard, he pointed out that “new forms of organizations for institutions responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies concerning integration and international insertion of our countries” must be sought.

 

Moneta went on to say “these institutions need to have a guiding capacity and give substance to the demands of our societies, at the same time, incorporating their expectations and needs.” 

 

During the panel, the former Permanent Secretaries of SELA also put forth ideas to revitalize the organization and equip it with new tools that will enable it to provide more and better responses to its Member States’ needs.

 

The Ambassador of Uruguay, Carlos Pérez del Castillo, Permanent Secretary of SELA from 1987-1991 was unable to attend the meeting for reasons inherent to his current post as Ambassador before the international organizations of the United Nations, headquartered in Geneva.

 

The XXVI Regular Meeting of the Latin American Council will conclude tomorrow with a Ministerial Session and it is hoped that the President of the Republic of Venezuela will attend.