Latin American Unity Summit @ Playa del Carmen

Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon hosted the Group of Rio Summit in Playa del Carmen.

Presidents from most Latin American countries are attending the meeting. Heads of state from the 15-member Caribbean Community are participating for the first time in a Group of Rio event. In his opening speech, Calderon said the summit would look at forming a new expanded organization, to include all those present.
This summit is being held at Caribbean resort, the Grand Velas Hotel, at Playa del Carmen.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon, said the bloc "will consolidate and globally project a Latin American and Caribbean identity." Although Latin American countries, have competing interests of their own _ a point driven home by bickering at the summit.

Latin American Unity Summit Highlights:
· Chavez and Uribe played down the incident Tuesday, promising to work out their differences
· Honduran President Porfirio Lobo was not invited to the summit but Lobo's spokesman said Honduras wants to join.
· Brazilian President Inacio Lula da Silva criticized the United Nations for not pushing more forcefully to reopen the debate on the Falkland Islands

The bloc's formation is expected to take years and faces many challenges but leaders agreed to meet again in Venezuela in 2011.