“If it works and is successful, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) could be regarded as the greatest event of the last 200 years of semi-independence in Latin America,” said President Raul Castro on Friday upon his arrival in Caracas, Venezuela, heading the Cuban delegation that will participate in the foundational meeting of this organization.

“For the first time in history, we are going to have an organization of our Americas,” the Cuban leader added.

Referring to the importance of the event, Raul noted that the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, is the one who “should be here because he is the one who deserves it the most.”

The Cuban head of state and government and his accompanying delegation were welcomed by Venezuelan executive vice president Elias Jaua and by Defense Minister Gen. Carlos Mata Figueroa.

Accompanying Raul Castro are the vice president of the Cuban Council of Ministers, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz; the Minister of Foreign Relations, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla; and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz.

CELAC will bring together 33 nations of the region. It will not include the United States and Canada.

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