Dina Boluarte makes her debut at the head of the Pacific Alliance: “We have managed to overcome political situations”

Dina Boluarte leaves the Government Palace in Lima, Peru.Sebastian Castaneda (Bloomberg)

The Government of Peru had to assume the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance at the end of November 2022. But Pedro Castillo, still Head of State, did not obtain authorization from Congress to travel to Mexico City and take over. by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. A couple of weeks later, the trade unionist and rural teacher tried to carry out a self-coup that broke down in a matter of hours and ended up in prison, accused of rebellion and later of leading a criminal organization. López Obrador refused to recognize former Vice President Dina Boluarte as Castillo’s legitimate successor and, since then, the situation has not stopped worsening until the permanent withdrawal of the ambassadors of both countries. This Friday, after so much diplomatic turmoil, Dina Boluarte led her presentation ceremony in Lima. “We have managed to overcome political situations,” she said.

The Pacific Alliance had ceased to be a mechanism for integration and commercial exchange between Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico to become a source of permanent tension. Finally, the Member States agreed that Chile would assume the temporary presidency, since the direct transfer of the Mexican to Peruvian authorities was unfeasible. Chile had the leadership between June 28 and August 1, the date on which the Peruvian Foreign Minister, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, took over in Santiago de Chile.

“This pro tempore presidency is possible thanks to dialogue, pragmatism and the will of the member countries, since we have not only managed to overcome political situations, but we have also been able to renew our commitment to Latin American integration,” said the president at the beginning of his speech. At her table she was accompanied by the Prime Minister, Alberto Otárola; the Minister of Foreign Relations, Ana Cecilia Gervasi; the holder of the Congress, Alejandro Soto; and the president of the Exporters Association, Julio Pérez Albán.

Boluarte’s main announcements were aimed at promoting an agenda to increase the competitiveness and internationalization of micro and small businesses, contribute to the reactivation of tourism, encourage the deployment of high-speed networks, encourage the economic empowerment of women, as well as such as prioritizing the accession processes of Ecuador and Costa Rica as new member States, facilitating the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between the Pacific Alliance and Singapore and starting negotiations for a trade agreement with South Korea.

The event was attended by Arnoldo André Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, and Daniel Legarda, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries of Ecuador. “The only way to strengthen these ties is Latin American integration. The Pacific Alliance is more than a trade agreement to exchange goods and services. It is cooperation, scholarships, tourism, export of services, generation of business networks and more”, Legarda intervened. Also participating remotely were Kim Gunn, Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister, and Alvin Tan, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

“The Pacific Alliance has positioned itself in the world. Not little has been achieved. We will exercise the pro tempore presidency with a deep sense of responsibility and a great spirit of cooperation”, promised Boluarte, who has in mind to resume negotiations with Canada, Australia and New Zealand for possible trade agreements. According to the president, the Pacific Alliance concentrates 42.9% of the GDP of Latin America and the Caribbean, generates 57.4% of the region’s trade and attracts 45% of foreign direct investment flows.

Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.

subscribe

“To my compatriots, I want to express with renewed conviction that Peru is back. Positive and purposeful foreign policy is back. Today we are committed to working for an inclusive Pacific Alliance that responds to the most urgent needs of the region”, said Boluarte to close his speech. The Executive enjoys an apparent respite: Boluarte participated in the Amazon Summit in Bélem do Pará, in her first exit as president of Peru, and now she assumes a powerful commercial mechanism that was denied to her for eight months.

Subscribe here to the EL PAÍS America newsletter and receive all the latest news from the region

#Dina #Boluarte #debut #Pacific #Alliance #managed #overcome #political #situations