July 25 (UPI) -- The Latin American and Caribbean Presidential Mission convened a strategic forum Wednesday, July 23, in San José, Costa Rica, to discuss the role Latin America could play in the evolving global landscape.
Amid weakening multilateralism, the rise of emerging powers and the fragmentation of traditional global structures, the central question was clear: Is Latin America ready to take on global leadership -- or will it remain on the sidelines of major decision-making?
Former Costa Rican presidents Laura Chinchilla, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, Rafael Ángel Calderón and Luis Guillermo Solís joined former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa and former Guatemalan President Vinicio Cerezo in calling for an end to regional fragmentation and urging Latin America to seize the opportunities of a new multipolar world.
"This is not just about adapting -- it's about influencing. Latin America can and must be a relevant player in the new global landscape," Cerezo said. He added that only through deep and strategic integration can the region play a meaningful role in reshaping the international order.
The forum highlighted Latin America's key strategic assets -- biodiversity, clean energy, a young population, democratic traditions and abundant natural resources. But it also emphasized that those resources are being underused due to a lack of regional coordination, the rise of populism and the erosion of democratic consensus.
