BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Federation’s membership in the newly-formed Community of Latin American and Caribbean States is a positive step forward, according to Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas.

Regional leaders agreed to the formal creation of the community, meant to serve as an alternative to the Organisation of American States (OAS), at a Mexican summit in late February. The new bloc is aimed at reducing US influence in the region and, consequently, membership will not be extended to that country and Canada.

Details still need to be hammered out, but the 33-member states did agree to meet in Venezuela in July 2011 to develop a charter.

PM Douglas spoke positively of the new endeavour on his weekly “Ask the PM” radio show yesterday (Mar. 2), revealing that although Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Da Silva had initiated the idea, Caribbean countries had been actively involved in its subsequent conceptualisation.

“I think it is good for us, especially with what is happening globally. The world is changing dramatically; we’ve all been impacted negatively by the financial and economic crisis. In fact, I think it was out of that that President Lula really got involved and began to bring the LAC countries together so we could have a common agenda, a common approach to deal with the fallout from the crisis,” he explained.

“These countries are all working together to bring unity among themselves and, in the process, bring unity among the Caribbean region. So it is LAC-specific and that is why the US and Canada have not been invited. The Latin American part of the hemisphere is what is being stressed.”

The new organisation will replace the existing Rio Group, a primarily Latin American grouping that was constituted in Brazil almost 24 years ago. Both the Rio Group and CARICOM will continue their normal operations until the community is officially established.

Douglas was accompanied to Mexico by Housing Minister Dr. Hon. Earl Asim Martin, His Excellency Ambassador Errol Maynard and Crios Freeman, Assistant Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.

St. Kitts-Nevis has grown closer with its Latin American neighbours in recent years, joining the PetroCaribe initiative in 2005 and even hosting the sixth PetroCaribe Summit in June 2009.

PM Douglas also told reporters last year that his government was considering becoming a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA).