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FOR THE INTEGRATION AND THE UNITY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

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October 12 of 1994

The Commemorative Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Conference of Latin American and Caribbean Political Parties, COPPPAL, upon celebrating fifteen years from its creation, ratifies the First Declaration of Oaxaca and confirms its Latin American vocation to struggle for a just, democratic and egalitarian society;

 We hereby represent:

That COPPPAL has demonstrated the efficacy of solidarity among the progressive, national and popular parties of Latin American and the Caribbean, within a frame of respect to sovereignty and to the principle of non intervention in other countries´internal affairs.

That after fifteen yars from having subscribed the first Declaration of Oaxaca, many steps have been taken towards the continent´s democratization and extolling efforts are being made to eradicate injustices and underdevelopment. Nevertheless, there still is a long way to go to achieve the total abolishment of the needs of our economies and political systems.

That we face today, the challenge to find a renewed view in order to understand regional reality, identify new pespectives and undertake a respectful integration of each of our countries´particularities.

That Latin American democracies require to consider the continent´s deep cultural, political and economical differences and to insist in the search of realistic models that should combine the functions of the market with the imperatives of social equality.

That the actual crisis demands new political projects in which responsibility, transparency and popular participation could be more effective to democratize economical, social and cultural structures. To be able to increase the collective well being, improvements in the economic arena must be accompanied by complementary political changes.

COPPPAL considers that democracy must be efficient and functional in regards to economical and social development. The eradication of injustice and poverty is a priority, and what is required are political decisions to promote a more egalitarian distribution of the benefits of macroeconomic growth. The creation of a climate of cooperation and a disposition towards overcoming disparities, will contribute to demonstrate that the economy´s efficiency and development may be complementary to a system of social well being and citizen participation.

COPPPAL considers that politics must be supported on superior values. It defines political vocation as one of the noblest and most fruitful expressions of human activity and it recovers the function of political parties as fundamental elements of the democratic order.

We therefore proclaim:

Our will to promote better ways of sustainable human development, aware that there can not be full democracy without economical development and social justice.

Our commitment to defending the plurality of ideas and cultures, specially within modern communications media, in order to avoid message monopoly and to foster permanent dialogue, shared analysis and common ideals.

Our struggle against the violation of human rights, committing ourselves to act in a persistent and concrete way so that the States may develop, based on each Coountry´s reality, more effective policies to promote these rights.

Our rejection to war and to interventions, as means to impose solutions and our commitment to the unlimited defense of Latin American and Caribbean sovereignties. Since integration of productive structures into a global process that does not correspond to Latin America´s historical integration ideal, runs the risk of imposing incongruent models over the autonomy and interests of the least favored countries.

Our concern because many of the changes occurred in Latin America over these three lustrums are not a product of modifications arisen from within it, but are due to foreign impositions. Therefore, it is imperative that it be we, the nations of Latin America, the ones who assume the initiative. Instead of expecting opportunities, we mus create them and assume the initiative in the definition of the route the continent mus take.

Our conviction as to the need to modernize and democratize international organisms such as the UN and the OEA (American States Organization), so that our countries may participate in equal conditions. The only way to aspire to a more just international order is by respecting the fundamental rights and liberties of nations and by establishing international relationships inspired in justice, equality and peace.

Our satisfaction because these fifteen years have brought about democratization processes in a group of Countries formely under the dominion of dictatorial regimes. Even though democratization is imprinted with the specifics of each historical situation, we confirm a series of common features in a sometimes adverse international atmosphere and where reorganization of world economy often times contradicts our peples´ aspirations to freedom.

 We propose to:

Persevere in the struggle for democracy and independence of the Latin American and Caribbean nations, including those that are still subject to colonial regimes, affirming and defending our own identity, which is a patrimony and an exclusive responsibility of our nations.

To insist that the diversity of the Caribbean and Latin American realities is the starting point towards continental integration, stressing the need to have participation from all the people thereof, and to get rid of whatever form of discrimination or exclusion based on ideological or geopolitical arguments, that correspond to historical stages already overcome.

To perfect and to expand relationships among progressive parties of the region, supporting the demands of each nation within a frame of strict respect to self determination.

To foster representation of political parties, turning them into effective agents of social interests and to promote their autonomy before the State´s powers.

To defend, promote and expand the range of Human Rights defense, diversifying these actions towards political parties, non governmental and community organizations, and towards the different groups that emerge from popular movements.

To summon the institutions of education, ideas and research, as well as those organisms dedicated to promote culture, to expand their links and to foster the knowledge of our region and its values, to stimulate a proud integration of our cultural, ethnic and historical roots.

To struggle for full freedom of speech, which includes democratization of access to the media, and for truthful, timely and plural information, where criticism and tolerance are understood as a substantial part of a wide socially based cultural integration.

To promote an ecological culture and to point out the urgency of an environmental defense policy, oriented towards the rational and strategic use of natural resources stressing specially, respect and ecological preservation, and awareness that exploitation of energy resources must take place in harmony with national sovereignty.

To eradicate from the Latin American continent the solutions of force, the use of violence and interventions, aimed at imposing forms of government not born from the citizens will.  Respect to self determination and an untiring search for negotiated solutions are consubstantial to democracy.

To struggle for a new economic order that would allow a sustainable development in Latin America, where equality and social justice would be an unavoidable part of any project.