Mexico to Host 'Pink Tide' Summit for New Latin America's Leftist Leaders

By Mary Webber (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Sep 18, 2021 03:41 AM EDT

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during the annual shout of independence (Grito de Independencia) as part of the independence day celebrations on September 15, 2021 in Mexico City, Mexico. This year marks the 200 anniversary of the culmination of the Mexican war of independence when the Ejercito Trigarante (Army of the Three Guarantees) triumphantly arrived to Mexico City on September 27, 1821 lead by Agustin de Iturbide, who later became the first emperor of the indepedent Mexico, and Vicente Guerrero who served as President of Mexico in 1829. (Photo : Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Mexico is set to host a summit that will convene recently elected members of a "pink tide" of leftist Latin American leaders.

The details of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) fourth summit, wherein 16 Latin American leaders confirmed to attend, were announced on Friday by Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Aljazeera reported.

Presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, and Peru, among others, are set to meet on Saturday, September 18, at the CELAC summit. CELAC is seen to discuss Latin America's response to the pandemic and the creation of funds to respond to climate change-derived disasters.

Together with Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, new leftist Latin American leaders seen to be among the heads of state at CELAC include Argentina's Alberto Fernandez, Peru's Pedro Castillo, and Bolivia's Luis Arce.

Latin American Leaders and CELAC

Marcelo Ebrard said CELAC discussions would also center on what plan Latin America and the Caribbean "will follow to have the equipment, vaccines, and tests for any other contingency," according to Euro News.

It is also expected that Mexico will also push for a unified plan to replace or reform the Organization of American States (OAS), with Mexico being the president pro tempore of the CELAC. Several CELAC members see OAS as an "interventionist" instrument of the U.S.

Latin America had first introduced its so-called "pink tide" of socialist leaders in the early 2000s. However, some of its leaders have died or been ousted, such as Venezuela's late leader Hugo Chavez and Bolivia ex-president Evo Morales.

The Latin American countries viewed as part of this ideological group have been referred to as "pink tide" nations with the objective to promote free-market policies in the region, economic cooperation, and regional integration and countering U.S. influence.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is expected to attend the summit, just made his first foreign visit after huge protests erupted in July.

Diaz-Canel, who attended a lavish military parade at Mexico's 200th anniversary of independence on Thursday, said that Mexico's help during the protests in the country became important as Cuba faced a "multidimensional war."

Reuters reported that Mexico had sent a lifeline to Havana by sending ships loaded with fuel, food, and oxygen tanks.

Latin America Amid the COVID Pandemic

Latin America has faced increasing cases of COVID infections, crippling its hospital facilities and killing thousands of people every day.

According to New York Times, Brazil earlier experienced a slow vaccine rollout. Recent data showed that around 64 percent of the population already received at least one dose of a vaccine shot.

The region currently projects lower infection rates as vaccination rates have improved. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Colombia initially had huge spikes of COVID cases. The same was the case for Uruguay and Paraguay.

But Carla Domingues, an epidemiologist who ran Brazil's immunization program until 2019, said the situation now has cooled off across Latin America.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro prided Brazil as having one of the best performances on vaccination around the world. Meanwhile, more than 70 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated in Chile and Uruguay.

Fernandez of Argentina said in late July that the path to normalcy is near, with some of the borders in Latin America moving to reopen borders. Fernandez noted that people deserve a life they can laugh without a face mask and hug those they love.

An April New York Times report said that Latin America had once accounted for 35 percent of all COVID deaths in the world despite accounting for just eight percent of the global population.

The region has experienced one of the strictest lockdowns and longest school closures. Its economy has also been widely affected.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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Tags Mexico, Pink Tide, summit, Host, Latin American leaders, Latin America, CELAC, Cuba, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, leftist leaders