“This is the achievement after 200 years of battle…The [U.S.] Monroe Doctrine was imposed here: America for Americans, the Yankees. They imposed their will during 200 years, but that’s enough…As the years go by, CELAC is going to leave behind the old and worn out OAS! [U.S. controlled Organization of American States]”-Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, December 3, 2011
“Today, we are going to give a death sentence to the Monroe Doctrine…that battle is culminating today with the creation of CELAC.”-Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, December 3, 2011
CELAC was formed in February 2010. On December 3rd, 2011, they held their first official meeting, and the Chinese were overjoyed: “I’d like to send my warmest congratulations. China is always looking to approach its ties with Latin America and the Caribbean from a strategic perspective and is willing to deepen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation.”-Hu Jintao, President of China, December 3, 2011
CELAC stands for Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños, or Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. CELAC is made up of 33 countries from the America’s and Caribbean. It now dominates North and South American economic policies. The United States, Canada, and the European countries were intentionally left out.
“A union of Latin American countries is the weapon against imperialism. It is necessary to create a regional body that excludes the United States and Canada …therefore, it is the best time for prime ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean to gestate this great new organization without the United States to free our peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean.”-Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, February 2010
Even supposed South American allies of the U.S. are involved: “This is in our interest, not against the OAS or Iberoamerican Summit, this is integration between Latin America and the Caribbean. I laud the meeting as a step in the right direction for Latin America.”-Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia, December 3, 2011
The Mexican President, Felipe Calderón, had the honor of opening the CELAC summit with the first speech: “Today we continue in a long process that never before had managed to achieve the integration of Latin American and Caribbean countries!”
Almost 30 years ago Argentina lost a war to take back the Falkland Islands from the United Kingdom. The islands are called the Malvinas in Argentina, and at Saturday’s first CELAC summit there was unanimous support for Argentina’s continued diplomatic efforts to take back the Malvinas: “The Argentine government has shown a permanently constructive attitude and willingness to reach, via negotiations, a peaceful and definitive solution to this anachronistic, colonial situation on American soil.”-CELAC declaration
The issue of the Falklands/Malvinas is even more serious as major oil reserves have been discovered there.
In a twist of irony, it’s been revealed that the U.S. controlled International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approached CELAC for loans to help bailout Europe! Normally countries south of the U.S. border have always been stereotyped as beggars waiting for hand out loans from the IMF: “This time, the IMF did not come to bring money but to ask for money! I would prefer to be a creditor than a debtor.”-Guido Mantega, Finance Minister of Brazil
“It seems like the tables have been turned. Latin American finance ministers used to shudder when IMF officials came to the region. And they were scolded, they were berated by IMF officials, who told them the way to do things… Now they’re the model of fiscal discipline and responsibility.”-Michael Shifter, Inter-American Dialogue
The President of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, was in Brazil, just before the CELAC summit in Venezuela. She admitted CELAC was the economic boss now: “It’s often the case that when one part of the world is not doing so well, the other ones are going to drive the bus and take the global economy forward.”