News

13 June 2025

On the sidelines of the Brazil–Caribbean Summit, held in Brasília, the Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Ambassador Noemí Espinoza Madrid, held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, marking a turning point in the consolidation of a strategic alliance between Brazil and the Greater Caribbean.

During the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to working together to strengthen cooperation ties between Latin America and the Caribbean, recognizing the key role that Brazil can play as a strategic partner in amplifying the voice of the Greater Caribbean on the international stage and advancing toward a truly multipolar, fair, and people-centered global order.

The Secretary-General emphasized the importance of the Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation signed between the ACS and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) in January 2025 as a concrete tool for the development of high-impact, multi-country projects, in areas such as disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and, in particular, sargassum management, one of the most urgent environmental challenges facing the Greater Caribbean.

“This agreement represents more than a cooperation framework: it is a concrete pathway to activate transformative South–South cooperation, strengthening regional capacities, consolidating the leadership role of the ACS, and contributing to improving the lives of people across our territories,” stated the Secretary-General.

The meeting holds particular relevance in the context of the upcoming COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil, where efforts will focus on advancing a shared climate agenda based on environmental justice, cooperation among equals, and the defense of common goods, such as the Caribbean Sea. In this regard, COP30 will provide a key platform to launch a strategic project on sargassum management, showcasing the region’s ability to coordinate strategic initiatives from the Greater Caribbean with global impact.

During the Summit, one of the urgent needs identified was the importance of ensuring that the commitments announced by regional financial institutions, such as CAF, are translated into concrete and effective investment. Only through tangible financing can the region move forward on projects that transform lives and translate political will into real outcomes.

The Secretary-General also acknowledged the active commitment of President Lula, who participated in every session of the Summit, reaffirming through his presence Brazil’s determination to build strong bridges with the Greater Caribbean—from political dialogue to practical cooperation.

She also reiterated the ACS’s readiness to continue building a long-term relationship with Brazil, grounded in shared identity, Latinocaribbean integration, and the collective commitment to a more resilient, united, and sovereign region.

This meeting reaffirms a shared vision: that the Caribbean and Latin America are not meant to walk separate paths, but rather to drive forward a regional transformation that amplifies the voice of the Global South and puts our people at the center. Because the Greater Caribbean is not a periphery, it must be the beating heart of joint actions that turn political will into tangible results, capable of transforming the lives of the peoples of this great region.