President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that Latin America and the Caribbean will only solve their problems if they face them together. On Wednesday (Jan. 28), during the opening of the International Economic Forum – Latin America and the Caribbean 2026, in Panama, Lula highlighted the region’s political and economic assets which, through regional integration, could benefit all countries and make them more relevant on the world stage.

“Remaining divided makes us all more fragile,” the president stated during the forum’s opening session, citing the “exceptional economic, geographic, demographic, political, and cultural qualities” that Latin American and Caribbean countries have “to aspire to a relevant presence in the global context.”

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Lula added that, to achieve these objectives, it is essential for regional leaders to be committed to institutional mechanisms and to “articulate, in a balanced way, the distinct national interests of our region.”

According to Lula, regional leaders lack conviction about the benefits of adopting a more autonomous international integration project. In this sense, he suggested that countries in the region take into account unexplored riches that could ensure a competitive position in the global order.

“We have political and economic assets that can give substance to the integration effort,” the president noted, listing among them the energy potential of oil and gas reserves, hydroelectric power, biofuels, and energy generated from nuclear, wind, and solar sources.

The president also cited as assets the fact that the region has the largest tropical forest on the planet, as well as its varied soil and climate conditions and scientific and technological advances in food production.

“We also possess abundant resources, including critical minerals and rare earths, essential for the energy and digital transition,” the Brazilian president said, adding that “critical minerals and rare earths only make sense if they enrich our countries and if we have the courage to build partnerships that generate wealth, jobs, and development in our countries.”

Lula recalled that, together, the countries of the region form a consumer market of more than 660 million people. He also stressed that there are no serious conflicts among the countries participating in the forum and that, predominantly, all governments were democratically elected.

“Latin America and the Caribbean are unique. It is up to us to assume that the possible integration will be based on a plurality of options. Guided by pragmatism, we can overcome ideological differences and build solid and positive partnerships within and outside the region. This is the only doctrine that suits us,” he highlighted.

“There is no possibility that any country in Latin America, on its own, can think it will solve its problems. We have 525 years of history. Often, colonization does not come through the interference of others, but through the cultural formation of our peoples. We need to change our behavior. Let us create a bloc - a bloc that can say we will end hunger in our countries,” he concluded.

As a special guest, the Brazilian president was the second to speak, immediately after the host country’s president, José Raúl Mulino.

The International Economic Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean will run until January 30.