Latin America on menu at Atlantic Dinner

Latin America on menu at Atlantic Dinner
By Euronews
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Launched in 2009, the Atlantic Dinners bring an eclectic mix of international opinion-makers from politics, business, media and culture. At the latest such gathering, the guests of honour were the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and the French Foreign Minister, Michele Alliot-Marie.

The theme of the evening was Latin America on the world stage. Since 1990 a new Latin America has emerged and the region appears to have broken the cycle of violent revolutions, dictatorships and recurring economic crises which have marked the region’s recent history.

One of the outstanding challenges is to rebalance the remaining injustices. Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos said: “If there is a problem in Latin America and in Colombia, it is the problem of inequality regarding the division of wealth and the development of different regions. This restricts countries’ chances of success. So we want to reduce these inequalities. But we also want to launch a reconciliation process to heal the wounds of violence which has damaged us for such a long time. This violence has not finished.”

The Colombian conflict dates back more than half a century with a symbiosis between violence and drug trafficking.

The Plan Colombia is a series of military successes against the FARC guerrillas aimed at curbing and combating the problem.

Colombia’s ambassador to France, Fernando Cepeda, said: “The success in the fight against drugs generates, unfortunately, problems elsewhere. Because without a worldwide fight, global and synchronised, the problem is resolved in one place but then pops up somewhere else. It’s what we call the balloon effect. It is a very complicated problem. Secondly I think that Mexico possesses solid institutions and a respectable history which will allow it, like Colombia, to overcome the problem and not become a narco-state.”

France began its presidency of the G20 in January with the fight against drug trafficking on the agenda. The interaction between three continents has become a necessity in the face of a global phenomenon.

French Foreign Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie said: “France wants to be more effective in the fight against the transatlantic trafficking of cocaine between Latin America, Africa and Europe. Cocaine trafficking is a tragedy for all the countries concerned.”

Carried by the economic boom of Brazil, Latin America is a region which is making its presence felt in the international arena. Brazil itself, Argentina and Mexico are already members of the G20 and there are several emerging countries with a promising future.

Jorge Edwards, Chile’s ambassador in Paris, said: “Latin America has the potential to attain the threshold of development, if it gets there around the end of the decade it will be very good. Without losing democracy, where democracy is already in place, to come closer to modern development.”

The President of the Atlantic Circle, Felix Marquardt, commented: “We at the Atlantic Dinner like to say that the Atlantic includes Latin America too.”

Launched in 2009, the Atlantic Dinners bring an eclectic mix of international opinion-makers from politics, business, media and culture. At the latest such gathering, the guests of honour were the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and the French Foreign Minister, Michele Alliot-Marie.

The theme of the evening was Latin America on the world stage. Since 1990 a new Latin America has emerged and the region appears to have broken the cycle of violent revolutions, dictatorships and recurring economic crises which have marked the region’s recent history.

One of the outstanding challenges is to rebalance the remaining injustices. Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos said: “If there is a problem in Latin America and in Colombia, it is the problem of inequality regarding the division of wealth and the development of different regions. This restricts countries’ chances of success. So we want to reduce these inequalities. But we also want to launch a reconciliation process to heal the wounds of violence which has damaged us for such a long time. This violence has not finished.”

The Colombian conflict dates back more than half a century with a symbiosis between violence and drug trafficking.

The so called ‘Plan Colombia’ is a series of military efforts against the FARC guerillas aimed at curbing and combating the problem.

Colombia’s ambassador to France, Fernando Cepeda, said: “The success in the fight against drugs generates, unfortunately, problems elsewhere. Because without a worldwide fight, global and synchronised, the problem is resolved in one place but then pops up somewhere else. It’s what we call the balloon effect. It is a very complicated problem. Secondly I think that Mexico possesses solid institutions and a respectable history which will alllow it, like Colombia, to overcome the problem and not become a narco-state.”

France began its presidency of the G20 in January with the fight against drug trafficking on the agenda. The interaction between three continents has become a necessity in the face of a global phenonomen.

French Foreign Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie said:

“France wants to be more effective in the fight against the transatlantic trafficking of cocaine between Latin America, Africa and Europe. Cocaine trafficking is a tragedy for all the countries concerned.”

Carried by the economic boom of Brazil, Latin America is a region which is making its presence felt in the international arena. Brazil itself, Argentina and Mexico are already members of the G20 and there are several emerging countries with a promising future.

Jorge Edwards, Chile’s ambassador in Paris, said: “Latin America has the potential to attain the threshold of development, if it gets there around the end of the decade it will be very good. Without losing democracy, where democracy is already in place, to come closer to modern development.”

The President of the Atlantic Circle, Felix Marquardt, commented: “We at the Atlantic Dinner like to say that the Atlantic includes Latin America too.”

Atlantic Dinners are expected to take place in February and March to discuss innovative financing for development and a recovering global economy.

Atlantic Dinner like to say that the Atlantic includes Latin America too.” Atlantic Dinners are expected to take place in February and March to discuss innovative financing for development and a recovering global economy.

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