Countries meet on forming U.S.-less bloc

Leaders of 32 countries were in Cancun, Mexico, Tuesday at a summit, hoping to organize a bloc minus the United States and Canada, officials said.

Summit host and Mexican President Felipe Calderon said the envisioned organization would promote better integration and shared economic development among Latin American and Caribbean countries, giving the region a stronger presence internationally, the Los Angeles Times reported. The new organization also would act as a counter to the Organization of American States, which some Latin leaders complain is dominated by the U.S. agenda.

"It is time for Latin Americans and Caribbeans to unite," Calderon said Monday at the start of two-day meeting, urging leaders to set aside political differences that have fractured the region.

"The challenge that faces our region is not a matter of left or right, it is not a question of ideologies or doctrines," Calderon said. "Rather, it is the alternative between the past and the future, a future where the values we believe in -- democracy, justice and freedom -- can flourish."

via upi.com

Posted via web from Cancun Mexico News