Orlando Perez
Special for La Jornada
La Jornada Newspaper
Saturday, November 16, 2024, p. 24
Quito. The 29th Ibero-American Summit, described as a success by the Ecuadorian authorities despite the fact that it barely had the presence of the Spanish King Felipe VI and the presidents Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (Portugal) and Xavier Espot Zamora (Andorra) in addition to the host Daniel Noboa, concluded yesterday in Cuenca without having any representatives from Mexico, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, assured that the absence of 19 heads of state does not diminish the relevance of the meeting. At the summit, which cost 400 thousand dollars, the so-called Cuenca Declaration was approved, which included 25 special documents that collect the positions of 19 of the 22 countries of this supraregional group on issues such as the fight against transnational crime. , chronic malnutrition, climate change, youth employment, the Ibero-American charter on digital environments and rights, as well as an aid letter specifically dedicated to Haiti.
At the meeting, an action plan with roadmaps was proposed to develop in the next two years and continue with it at the 2026 summit, which will be held in Spain.
Cuba and Argentina exchange disqualifications
In the plenary session, the delegations of Cuba and Argentina participated in an exchange of disqualifications after the Cuban representative, Rodolfo Benítez, accused the government of Javier Milei of come to burst the summitwhile the Argentine ambassador, Eduardo Acevedo, called the government an island of violate human rightswhich caused the plenary session to close without an official statement.
The Argentine government did not support a document that included support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and public policies on gender equality and the fight against climate change. While the Cuban delegation opposed approving a declaration that did not contain a condemnation of the blockade that the United States exercises on the island, as Argentina intended.
In parallel to the summit, the region’s private sector adopted a Commitment to youth employabilityduring the 15th Ibero-American Business Meeting, attended by more than a thousand representatives from the business world, and the Ibero-American disability card was presented to facilitate the recognition of your rights.
