By María Josefina Arce

In Honduras, the second social meeting of CELAC, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, will soon open its doors, which will bring together civil society organizations and movements from the member nations of this mechanism created to promote regional integration and work for the well-being of its citizens.

Important aspects of the current political, economic and social situation in the area will be debated over the three days of the event, which gives voice to the people and makes visible their concerns and struggles for a more just and sustainable world and in favor of peace.

Hence, the center of attention of the participants will be the sovereignty of the people, the role of social movements in regional unity, human rights, and the rejection of coups d'état that constitute an attack on democracy.

Precisely, the current meeting will take place on the 15th anniversary of the coup plot in Honduras against the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya, who under his mandate from 2006 to 2009 launched social programs that led to the reduction of inequality and poverty.

Honduras began to register economic growth, the lowest inflation in recent years was achieved and the income of Hondurans increased.

But the coup, orchestrated by the Honduran oligarchy, supported by the United States, led to a significant deterioration in the economic, political and social situation of the Central American country.

Therefore, the necessary unity in the face of threats from the right and to confront destabilizing actions against progressive governments is one of the axes of this area of ​​social organizations in the area.

A year ago in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, this important space for popular articulation was born. It took place during the Seventh Summit of presidents and heads of state of the countries of the regional bloc, whose final declaration and the 11 special declarations were described as a solid working basis to continue advancing in integration.

The CELAC social meeting in Honduras comes to contribute and enrich this process, from the vision and experiences of the different sectors of society, in their fight for a better world.

It is an invaluable opportunity to continue building regional unity in diversity, with the essential and leading participation of the people.