Caritas_Latin_America_and_Caribbean

Caritas Latin America and Caribbean

Caritas Latin America and Caribbean

Panamerican Catholic charity confederation.


Caritas Latin America and Caribbean (Spanish: Cáritas América Latina y el Caribe; Portuguese: Cáritas América Latina e Caribe) is a network of Catholic nonprofit organisation active in Latin America and the Caribbean and one of the seven regions of the global Caritas Internationalis confederation.[1]

Quick Facts Abbreviation, Type ...

Its name is used both for the regional secretariat and its network of 22 member organisation, but the secretariat is also known as Secretariado Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Caritas (SELACC).[2]

Work

The role of Caritas Latin America and Caribbean is to foster peer exchange and learning among its member organisations, and to speak with a joint voice. The secretariat (SELACC) is also engaged in advocacy, for example concerning the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean Summits[3] as well as in the institutional capacity strengthening of its member organisations.[2][4]

Membership and structure

Unlike other regions of Caritas Internationalis, such as Caritas Europa with its secretariat in Brussels, or Caritas Africa with its secretariat in Lomé, the secretariat of Caritas Latin America and Caribbean is decentralised, albeit legally registered in San José, Costa Rica. This means that the staff is located in the offices of its various member organisations across the continent.

The member organisations are the national Caritas organisations of Latin America. These are subdivided into regional subgroups: Camex for Central America, Caribe for the Caribbean island organisations, Bolivariana for north-eastern South America and Cono Sur for the Southern tip of the continent as well as for Brazil.[5]

The country offices of other Caritas organisations, such as of the American Catholic Relief Services or of Caritas Switzerland, are not members of Caritas Latin America and Caribbean.

List of Member Organisations

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Leadership

Presidents

Regional Coordinators

  • 2003–2007: Francisco Gerardo Hernández Rojas[9]
  • 2007–2011: Antonio Sandoval[10]
  • 2011–2023: Francisco Gerardo Hernández Rojas[9]
  • 2023–present: Nicolás Meyer[11]

References

  1. "Where we work: Latin America & Caribbean". caritas.org. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. "Informe cuatrienal SELACC 2019-2023.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  3. "Marco estratégico 2024–2031". caritaslatinoamerica.org. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  4. López, Miroslava (13 May 2023). "Cáritas América Latina y el Caribe tiene nuevo presidente". vidanuevadigital.com. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  5. Merlo, Francesco (23 November 2021). "Caritas on aid in Latin America and Caribbean: Solidarity is our mission". Vatican News. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  6. Chaves Leiva, Lisandra (2 August 2023). "Sacerdote costarricense designado director de un centro del CELAM". iglesiacr.org. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  7. Uranga, Washington (26 March 2007). "Bargalló va del Cáritas local al latinoamericano". Página 12. Retrieved 11 May 2024.

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