Creation of PROSUL

A meeting of South American presidents was held in Santiago on March 22, 2019, when the "Presidential Declaration on the Renewal and Strengthening of South American Integration" was adopted.

In this Declaration, eight countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay and Peru) indicated their willingness to build and consolidate a regional space for coordination and cooperation, laying the foundations for the launch of the Forum for the Progress of South America (PROSUR). The initiative will replace, for these countries, the role initially assigned to UNASUR. The following elements in the text should be highlighted:

(i) that this forum should be implemented gradually, with a flexible, light structure, cost effective, with clear operating rules and an agile decision-making mechanism;

(ii) that this forum will address, in a flexible way and with priority, integration issues related to infrastructure, energy, health, defense, security and fight against crime, prevention of and response to natural disasters;

(iii) that the essential requirements to participate in this space will be the full validity of democracy and the respective constitutional orders, respect for the principle of separation of state powers, and the promotion, protection, respect and guarantee of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states, with respect to international law.

Chile will exercise the Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) of this process for the next 12 months, and will be succeeded by Paraguay.