OEA - Documento AG ACTA 519 26 de 2026

QUINCUAGÉSIMO SEXTO PERÍODO ORDINARIO DE SESIONES OEA/Ser.P Del 22 al 24 de junio de 2026 AG/ACTA 519/26

Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá 24 agosto 2026

Original: Textual

ACTA DE LA SESIÓN INAUGURAL

Fecha: 22 de junio de 2026

Hora: 6:46 p. m.

Lugar: Centro de Convenciones ATLAPA

Presidenta Provisional: Señora Raina Forbin

Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores, Jefa de la Delegación de Haití

Presentes: Jean Josué Pierre (Haití)

Pamela Handal Rivera (Honduras) Kamina Johnson Smith (Jamaica) Raquel Serur Smeke (México) Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez (Panamá) Víctor Verdún Bitar (Paraguay) Carlos José Pareja Ríos (Perú) Roberto Álvarez (República Dominicana) Jacinth Henry-Martin (Saint Kitts y Nevis) Alva Romanus Baptiste (Santa Lucía) Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble (San Vicente y las Granadinas) Melvin Bouva (Suriname) Wilfred Nicholas Morris (Trinidad y Tobago) Mario Lubetkin (Uruguay) Ronald Sanders (Antigua y Barbuda) Pablo Quirno Magrane (Argentina) Frederick A. Mitchell (Bahamas) Christopher Sinckler (Barbados) Oscar Arnold (Belize) Fernando Hugo Aramayo Carrasco (Bolivia) Mauro Vieira (Brasil) Anita Anand (Canadá) Francisco Pérez Mackenna (Chile)

Christopher Sinckler (Barbados) Oscar Arnold (Belize) Fernando Hugo Aramayo Carrasco (Bolivia) Mauro Vieira (Brasil) Anita Anand (Canadá) Francisco Pérez Mackenna (Chile) Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy (Colombia) Manuel Tovar Rivera (Costa Rica) Steve Ferrol (Dominica) Roberto Kury Pesantes (Ecuador) Wendy Jeannette Acevedo Castillo (El Salvador) Christopher Landau (Estados Unidos) Tarlie Francis (Grenada) Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado (Guatemala) ASAMBLEA GENERAL2Hugh Hilton Todd (Guyana)

Albert R. Ramdin (Secretario General de la OEA) Laura Gil Savastano (Secretaria General Adjunta)- 3Asuntos

1. Actos inaugurales de la sesión

2. Palabras del Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos

3. Palabras del Presidente de la República de Panamá- 41. Actos inaugurales de la sesión

La MAESTRA DE CEREMONIAS: Buenas tardes, sean todos bienvenidos al acto oficial de instalación del quincuag ésimo sexto [período ordinario de sesiones de la] Asamblea General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) [que se celebra] bajo el lema “América Unida en el

Bicentenario del Congreso Antitécnico de Panamá”.

Saludamos en la mesa principal al Excelentísimo Señor José Raúl Mulino Quintero, Presidente

Bicentenario del Congreso Antitécnico de Panamá”.

Saludamos en la mesa principal al Excelentísimo Señor José Raúl Mulino Quintero, Presidente de la República. Junto a él, el Canciller de la República de Panamá, Su Excelencia Javier Eduardo Martínez-Acha Vásquez, anfitrión de este importante encuentro. Igu almente, saludamos al Secretario General de la OEA, honorable señor Albert Ramdin; junto con él, la honorable señora Laura Gil, Secretaria General Adjunta de la OA.

Igualmente, extendemos los saludos protocolares a la honorable señora Maricel Cohen de Mulino, Primera Dama de la República, Excelentísimos Señores Presidentes, Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno.

Saludamos a Su Excelencia Jorge Herrera, Presidente de la Asamblea Nacional de Diputados de Panamá, su Excelencia María Cristina Chen, Presidenta de la Corte Suprema de Justicia; señores exPresidentes de la República, sus Excelencias, Ministros de Relaciones Exteriores de los países que nos acompañan, sus Excelencias, Ministros y Viceministros de Estado, sus Excelencias, Jefes de Misiones y de organismos internacionales acreditados en la República de Panamá.

Saludamos con mucho gusto, igualmente, a los señores delegados y miembros de la Organización de los Estados Americanos, invitados especiales, medios de comunicación social nacionales e internacionales.

La realización del Congreso Anfictiónico de Panamá de 1826 sentó las bases del multilateralismo en el Hemisferio y constituyó un antecedente significativo para la posterior creación de la Organización de los Estados Americanos.

Vamos en este momento a invitar [a que ingresen a la sala] los Jefes de Delegación de los

multilateralismo en el Hemisferio y constituyó un antecedente significativo para la posterior creación de la Organización de los Estados Americanos.

Vamos en este momento a invitar [a que ingresen a la sala] los Jefes de Delegación de los [Estados] Miembros, según la siguiente lista. Invitamos a Argentina.

[La Maestra de Ceremonias anuncia a cada uno de los Jefes de Delegación, quienes hacen su ingreso y ocupan sus respectivos lugares.]

Invitamos igualmente al Excelentísimo Señor Nasry Asfura, Presidente de Honduras. Igualmente [invitamos] al Presidente de la República de Guatemala, Excelentísimo Señor Bernardo Arévalo.

Y con la mesa conformada le pido a la mesa principal y a la audiencia, por favor, ponernos de pie para entonar el himno nacional de la República de Panamá, [que será] interpretado por el Coro Juvenil Talento Nacional de la Red de Orquestas y Coros Juvenile s de Panamá del Ministerio de Cultura.

[El Coro Juvenil Talento Nacional entona el himno nacional de la República de Panamá.]- 52. Palabras del Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos

La MAESTRA DE CEREMONIAS: Para las palabras de bienvenida, invito al Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos, honorable señor Albert Ramdin.

El SECRETARIO GENERAL: Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Panama, Doctor José Raúl Mulino, and Madam First Lady, President of Guatemala, señor Bernardo Arévalo; President of Honduras, señor Nasry Asfura; our colleague and friend, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha; distinguished Ministers of Foreign Affairs of member states of the

President of Honduras, señor Nasry Asfura; our colleague and friend, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha; distinguished Ministers of Foreign Affairs of member states of the Organization of American States (OAS), permanent representatives, permanent observers; Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Laura Gil; colleagues from international and regional organizations, colleagues and staff members of the Organization of American States.; ladies and gentlemen:

Two centuries ago, on this same ground, the leaders of a newly independent Hemisphere met around a conviction that nations that share a geography also share a future. Dialogue, solidarity, cooperation and collaboration were envisioned as essential to shaping the region’s future.

Simón Bolívar’s call for the Amphictyonic Congress was the first deliberate attempt to give structure to solidarity among the nations of the Americas, to give form to cooperation, to give discipline to freedom, to replace isolation with coordination and su spicion with dialogue. Its ambition was extraordinary.

And while that effort was incomplete, it succeeded in something far more enduring: it proved that the nations of the Americas could think beyond themselves. That they could imagine not domination, but association. Not power over one another, but responsibility and solidarity toward one another.

In 1948, those values took institutional form with the creation of the Organization of American States. So what was once aspiration became architecture. What was once vision became a solid commitment.

I thank President Mulino and the Government of Panama, and all involved in this process, the two Vice Ministers, the team, our own Assistant Secretary General, for hosting the Americas at this historical event.

Honorable Ministers, Mr. President, we all know, we live in complex times and an evolving world. Rapid technological changes, strains in the global economy, inequality, natural disasters, and organized crime, just to name a few, test the resilience of our societies and our capacity to respond. In many cases, these developments have an adverse effect on our societies and economies, making governance even more challenging, and delivering to the promise and expectations of the people.

organized crime, just to name a few, test the resilience of our societies and our capacity to respond. In many cases, these developments have an adverse effect on our societies and economies, making governance even more challenging, and delivering to the promise and expectations of the people.

Yet, the premise of two hundred years ago still holds: multilateral action is not just one option; it is a requirement for our survival. And through our hemispheric multilateral system, we possess not only the expertise and collective resolve, but also the institutional architecture to effectively respond to these challenges.

Multilateralism enables us to pursue common interests, manage shared risks, and establish rules that make international relations more stable and predictable, with respect for sovereignty,- 6territorial integrity and non-intervention, as prescribed in the Charter of the Organization of American States.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Organization of American States as promised, has embarked on an intense process of institutional reform. We have eliminated silos and favored cohesion within the institution. We established three inter -departmental working groups, on Haiti, Youth, and the Private Sector to coordinate joint initiatives.

Alongside these initiatives, in order to ensure that our work remains focused, we have completed a thorough review of our mandates. At the start of this year, we carried more than 360 active mandates, which are now reduced to seventy -seven. Each of these has now been tied to a goal and an objective under the new Strategic Plan.

And our Strategic Plan is linked to the budget. Our 2027 Program -budget, which is up for adoption during this [fifty-sixth regular] session of the General Assembly, sets a zero nominal growth in quota levels. This effectively sets a US$93 million ceiling. Because mandatory costs keep increasing, the Organization continues to be under strain. Our fiscal sustainability has been, for years, a challenge. And while we appreciate the increase to US$94.3 million authorized in expenditures, relying on reserve sub funds to partially cover those costs, if necessary, is not sustainable in the long term.

the Organization continues to be under strain. Our fiscal sustainability has been, for years, a challenge. And while we appreciate the increase to US$94.3 million authorized in expenditures, relying on reserve sub funds to partially cover those costs, if necessary, is not sustainable in the long term.

At the same time, the General Secretariat is doing its part by working to achieve greater effectiveness with the resources we have. In -person work has been implemented, return to office policies. Internal processes are being streamlined or updated. We have a new Code of Conduct and have refocused on the role of our cultural binding vehicle, the Columbus Memorial Library and the Art Museum of the Americas. We have also adopted a new real estate strategy and recently established an integrated correspondence system to improve response times to member states’ inquiries.

To enhance transparency and accountability, the Office of the Executive Director is also leading the publication of a new suite of interactive dashboards.

Ladies and gentlemen, our achievements over the past year on each of the OAS pillars are too many to recount here. For the full report across each Secretariat, I refer you to page fifty -five and on, of our Annual Report, presented to this General Assembly in compliance with Article 91 of the Charter. But allow me here to share some concrete results along our four pillars:

In the last twelve months, we have deployed, in terms of democracy, sixteen electoral observation missions and 698 observers across the Hemisphere, lending credibility to electoral processes and upholding the principle of participatory democracy in more than twenty elections in 2025 and 2026.

But we must continue working towards expanding the democratic space in areas of the region where it is absent or insufficient, particularly in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. And for all these cases, the OAS stands ready to assist in all possible ways, upon request of our member states.

We have also expressed our readiness to assist our founding member state Bolivia in addressing the domestic crisis they are currently facing. The elections in Peru and Colombia also require our

cases, the OAS stands ready to assist in all possible ways, upon request of our member states.

We have also expressed our readiness to assist our founding member state Bolivia in addressing the domestic crisis they are currently facing. The elections in Peru and Colombia also require our attention, because peace and stability must prevail. In the case of Bolivia, we are in contact with Foreign7Minister Aramayo to undertake, in the short term, two concrete activities in support of the constitutionally elected government led by President Paz.

In Haiti, we have taken on a coordinating role. I thank our partners, including, of course, Haiti, the United Nations, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), for the excellent coordination and collaboration. We actively supported the UN Security Council re solution that established the Gang Suppression Force. We have initiated a Special Mission and appointed our own Special Representative on Haiti. Through our Universal Civil Identity Program in the Americas, we are supporting Haiti’s Identification Office, where in the last months alone we distributed more than 600,000 identification cards, which are critical for the holding of elections in the Republic of Haiti.

So, therefore, I would like to thank the member states and permanent observers for their important contributions to this member state, a founding member state of the Organization. Haiti requires hemispheric solidarity first and foremost, just as when Simón Bolívar’s and other independent movements needed assistance, and Haiti stood ready to provide help when it was necessary. I do not believe that we should forget that effort was made many, many years ago in support of our sister Republic of Haiti.

We are expanding, ladies and gentlemen, another flagship program in the Adjacency Zone between Belize and Guatemala, and continue dialogue with the leaders of both countries, who have reaffirmed their commitment to respecting the ruling of the Internationa l Court of Justice. Thank you very much, President Arévalo and Prime Minister Briceño for the active participation in these discussions.

In Colombia, we resumed demining activities, and our teams verified more than 400,000

reaffirmed their commitment to respecting the ruling of the Internationa l Court of Justice. Thank you very much, President Arévalo and Prime Minister Briceño for the active participation in these discussions.

In Colombia, we resumed demining activities, and our teams verified more than 400,000 square meters of cleared land, while our Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP) contributed this year to the release of eighty -seven people. And today I signed the extension of the MAPP/OAS project with Minister Villavicencio.

We have also established a Special Mission to Guatemala, which has played, in our view, a crucial role in supporting the appointment of the judicial authorities.

In this regard, on several instances, the Organization’s good offices have helped member states address tensions before they escalate, providing a trusted space for dialogue, offering discreet counsel, and facilitating constructive engagement. While these efforts often take place away from public view, they are guided by a single purpose of preserving peace and stability in the Hemisphere and strengthening democratic governance.

With that same approach, the General Secretariat is working with the legitimately elected authorities, as I said, of Bolivia, and wherever else needed following elections as we spoke about in Peru and Colombia.

Pertaining to hemispheric security, we joined with regional banks to launch a hemispheric observatory on organized crime, the first of its kind, and we carried out our first joint operation with INTERPOL against firearms trafficking.

On development, our Plan Trifinio project benefited more than 12,700 people across El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. And through the Americas Competitiveness Exchange we logged8over 350 cooperation opportunities, and an independent evaluation last year estimated a return of up to US$30.00 for every dollar invested.

On legal affairs, we hosted advanced training workshops for cybercrime prosecutors in partnership with national experts and firms, reaching more than 3,000 judges and prosecutors. The

over 350 cooperation opportunities, and an independent evaluation last year estimated a return of up to US$30.00 for every dollar invested.

On legal affairs, we hosted advanced training workshops for cybercrime prosecutors in partnership with national experts and firms, reaching more than 3,000 judges and prosecutors. The Inter-American Juridical Committee also worked on an addendum to the Int er-American Model Law 2.0 on Access to Public Information, focusing on access to information within the judicial system.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights received more petitions this year than in any year of its history, and it answered more than four out of five within the same year. Behind that number are people who had nowhere else to turn and who found an answer here.

I would therefore like to commend the Inte -American Court of Human Rights and the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights for their work in protecting human rights through one of the most developed systems in the world, and to reaffirm that we will speak clearly about serious human rights violations in parts of this Hemisphere. Allow me to reiterate that, in all cases, OAS stands ready to support the necessary democratic processes.

Honorable Ministers, Mister President, looking at the future, we are continuing to take new initiatives to further modernize the OAS and improve our support to member states. We launched a Task Force, last week, on artificial intelligence (AI) which will a ssess the landscape, align priorities, establish governance, define guardrails, and prepare the OAS for responsible AI adoption. Because responsible AI can help the OAS do more with existing resources, by improving efficiency and accelerating delivery to serve member states, while protecting security and accountability.

We have also presented a resource mobilization plan, and before the end of the year we will update the strategy to specifically engage the private sector and other global and regional potential revenue streams.

With the recently appointed Executive Secretary for Integral Development, we are preparing a strategic [sustainable] development strategy and work plan to cater better for the needs of, especially the small and vulnerable economies.

update the strategy to specifically engage the private sector and other global and regional potential revenue streams.

With the recently appointed Executive Secretary for Integral Development, we are preparing a strategic [sustainable] development strategy and work plan to cater better for the needs of, especially the small and vulnerable economies.

We are in the process of strengthening and reforming the Inter -American Emergency Aid Fund, with proposals which will be shared with member states after this General Assembly, to increase its capacity to deliver more and better and quicker when natural disasters hit.

Some other topics under review are viable alternatives to reduce labor costs within the Organization through regional hubs and outsourcing. The Executive Director has been charged with developing a plan which, immediately after the General Assembly, will be presented to member states. And also, internal directives on the use of contractors, and enhanced communication strategies and platforms.

Honorable Presidents and Ministers, much of the Organization’s work takes place outside the public spotlight, and we must do more to communicate its impact. I have made it a priority to bring the OAS closer to the people of the Hemisphere, particularly our youth. Through engagements at universities, legislative bodies, meetings with the private sector, outreach to the media, we have striven to communicate our work and the achievements of the OAS.- 9Our engagement does not stop at the General Secretariat. We continue to expand our alignment, collaboration and coordination with our inter -American partners: the Inter -American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). We recently signed an agreement with PAHO for the use of the OAS Administrative Tribunal, one practical example of how the institutions of the inter -American system can share what they have rather than each build it alone.

Beyond the region, we are building working relationships with the European Union and the Council of Europe, and other regional entities, to facilitate meaningful partnerships.

Honorable Presidents and Ministers, all our initiatives are anchored in a vision of peace and

can share what they have rather than each build it alone.

Beyond the region, we are building working relationships with the European Union and the Council of Europe, and other regional entities, to facilitate meaningful partnerships.

Honorable Presidents and Ministers, all our initiatives are anchored in a vision of peace and prosperity in the Americas, with the private sector as a central partner in these efforts. Carrying out this agenda also requires unity and greater connectivity w ithin this Hemisphere, especially between our peoples.

That unity, in turn, rests on a shared commitment to common rules. My role as Secretary General is to speak for the principles we have all agreed to uphold, respecting the rules that we all have approved. We must live by a rule-based international order, respecting obligations in good faith and with justice, maintaining peaceful relations among nations, and ensuring conduct guided by principles. Choosing principle over power is a deliberate restraint, and it is what makes this Organization credible. A forum can command trust only if it is willing to abide by the very principles it asks others to uphold.

That is the approach we take in the leadership of the General Secretariat. We make strides to deliver on the aspirations of the OAS as a neutral body and a forum for political dialogue, where differences can be settled and where we can engage and design policies that help our citizens live in a peaceful and prosperous region.

In closing, I would like to thank the staff of the General Secretariat, all of them, for their dedication and commitment to advancing our path to peace and prosperity. Together we can and we will deliver to the needs of the people of the Americas.

Honorable Presidents, Honorable Ministers, I ask this [General] Assembly to safeguard the legacy entrusted to us 200 years ago and to carry its promise forward for future generations. The challenges we face are significant, but they are not greater than our collective capacity to address them.

As Secretary General of this Organization, I say this today: the OAS is the necessary forum to ensure that cooperation is not episodic but sustained. The OAS is both a mandate and a responsibility

challenges we face are significant, but they are not greater than our collective capacity to address them.

As Secretary General of this Organization, I say this today: the OAS is the necessary forum to ensure that cooperation is not episodic but sustained. The OAS is both a mandate and a responsibility to defend democracy when it is tested, to uphold the rule o f law when it is strained, to protect human dignity when it is threatened. But its deepest charge is simpler than any of these. It is to ensure that the nations of this Hemisphere do not stand apart at the very moment they are needed together.

If the Congress of Panama gave us a vision, our task is to give it continuity. If it gave us principles, our duty is to make them effective. If it entrusted us with a shared destiny, our responsibility is to act as if we truly believe in it. Then let us me et that trust, together, with resolve, and without hesitation.

I thank you very much.- 10La MAESTRA DE CEREMONIAS: Muchísimas gracias al Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos.

Vamos a escuchar nuevamente al Coro Juvenil Talento Nacional de la Red de Orquestas y Coros Juveniles de Panamá del Ministerio de Cultura.

Ahora deleitarán a la audiencia con la interpretación musical Verde Mar.

[El Coro Juvenil Talento Nacional entona la canción Verde Mar.]

[Aplausos.]

La MAESTRA DE CEREMONIAS: Muchísimas gracias al Coro Juvenil Talento Nacional.

3. Palabras del Presidente de la República de Panamá

La MAESTRA DE CEREMONIAS: Vamos ahora a recibir con un cálido aplauso al Excelentísimo Señor José Raúl Mulino Quintero, Presidente de la República de Panamá.

Bienvenido, Presidente.

La MAESTRA DE CEREMONIAS: Vamos ahora a recibir con un cálido aplauso al Excelentísimo Señor José Raúl Mulino Quintero, Presidente de la República de Panamá.

Bienvenido, Presidente.

[Aplausos.]

El PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA DE PANAMÁ: Gracias. Gracias. Muchas gracias.

Señora Maricel Cohen de Mulino , Primera Dama de la República; Excelentísimos Señores Presidentes de Honduras y de Guatemala, queridos amigos, Tito Asfura y Bernardo Arévalo, que nos acompañan esta noche; señores Cancilleres de las Américas aquí presentes y enviados personales de sus di stinguidos Presidentes y amigos; señores embajadores, señora Secretaria General Adjunta, distinguidos Jefes de Delegación; Representantes de los Estados observadores permanentes en nuestra Organización; damas y caballeros:

Es un honor recibirles en esta ciudad que hace exactamente doscientos años fue escenario de uno de los momentos más visionarios de la historia de nuestra región: el Congreso Anfictiónico convocado por el Libertador Simón Bolívar en 1826. Ya en 1815, en su célebre Carta de Jamaica, Bolívar había expresado ese sueño con palabras que hoy resuenan en este recinto. Cito: “Ojalá que algún día tengamos la fortuna de instalar allí un augusto congreso de los representantes de las repúblicas, reinos e imperios a tratar y discutir sobre los altos intereses de la paz y de la guerra con las naciones de las otras partes del mundo”.

Ese sueño se cumplió en Panamá en 1826, y hoy, doscientos años después, volvemos a

naciones de las otras partes del mundo”.

Ese sueño se cumplió en Panamá en 1826, y hoy, doscientos años después, volvemos a reunirnos en esta misma tierra para reafirmar que la cooperación entre naciones no es una expresión de idealismo: es la herramienta más eficaz que tenemos para resolver los problemas de nuestros pueblos.

Bolívar sabía que la independencia recién conquistada solo podría consolidarse sobre bases sólidas. En su discurso de Angostura, en 1819, reclamó para las jóvenes repúblicas la corrección, la11probidad y la entrega al bien público como condiciones del sistema republicano. Y fue también él quien advirtió que las naciones marchan hacia su grandeza con el mismo paso con que camina la educación, incluyendo, con notable visión para su época, la educa ción de las mujeres. Esos principios no han envejecido. Siguen siendo el fundamento de cualquier democracia que aspire a ser real y, sobre todo, duradera.

Doscientos años después, los desafíos son distintos, pero la lógica es la misma. Vivimos una época marcada por tensiones geopolíticas que redefinen el orden internacional, por tecnologías que transforman nuestras economías y por amenazas que ningún Estado puede enfrentar en solitario. El crimen organizado transnacional, las presiones migratorias, el cambio climático, las brechas digitales y las crecientes demandas de ciudadanos que exigen instituciones que respondan. Ante esa realidad, la cooperación internacional no es una opción. Es una necesidad estratégica.

Por eso resulta especialmente significativo que las Américas se reúnan aquí. Panamá es por historia y por vocación, un punto de encuentro, un puente entre océanos, entre regiones y, sobre todo,

Por eso resulta especialmente significativo que las Américas se reúnan aquí. Panamá es por historia y por vocación, un punto de encuentro, un puente entre océanos, entre regiones y, sobre todo, entre pueblos. Nuestro canal, nuestros puertos y nuestras rutas marítimas son la expresión concreta de ese servicio a la comunidad internacional. Pero Panamá aspira a ser también un espacio para el diálogo y la construcción de consensos. Un lugar donde las diferencias se dirimen con respeto y donde los acuerdos tienen más peso que las divisiones.

Nuestra región posee condiciones extraordinarias; contamos con vastos recursos naturales, una población joven, energías renovables, capacidad agrícola y diversidad cultural que son activos globales. Tenemos la posibilidad real de convertirnos en uno de los principales motores de crecimiento y estabilidad del mundo en las próximas décadas. Alcanzar ese potencial, sin embargo, requiere confianza mutua, situaciones e instituciones sólidas y una cooperación más efectiva entre nuestros países. Estamos reivindicando una convicción profundamente vigente: que las naciones son más fuertes cuando cooperan que cuando se aíslan.

Quizás hoy entendamos esa unidad de manera distinta a como fue concebida hace dos siglos, pero con un mismo principio rector: la defensa de la democracia, cuya legitimidad se fortalece cuando los ciudadanos perciben que la libertad y las instituciones demo cráticas mejoran efectivamente sus vidas. Por ello, defender la democracia implica también hacerla más eficaz, más cercanas y capaz de responder a las expectativas legítimas de nuestros pueblos. Una democracia sin capacidad de respuesta y alejada de las ne ces