Organizing Latin America

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has exuberantly hosted Latin American leaders in a bid to create a new regional body that is intended to counter the United States [... a] 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

[...]

Cuba, suspended from the Washington-based OAS in 1962, is a CELAC member. Analysts say the new body shows the wish of Latin America and the Caribbean to move out of the shadow of Washington.

"As the years go by, CELAC is going to leave behind the old and worn-out OAS," Chavez said, referring to the hemisphere-wide Organisation of American States that leftist nations say is under Washington's thumb.

[...]

Al Jazeera's Dima Khatib in Caracas said the leaders were trying to send a message to the US that they are not Washington's "backyard anymore".

  

Backyard? Not even that. Waste dump on the edge of town.

The new group has lofty aims including the creation of a regional reserves fund for economic crises and a body for human rights monitoring.

Well, I hope it works for them. It’s hard to get along with others.

The countries of CELAC have nearly 600 million people and comprise the world's number one food exporter.

And right there is their leverage.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.