Uruguay President Orsi calls for Latin American unity in face of economic uncertainty

Uruguay's President Yamandú Orsi on Monday called for progress in Latin American integration to confront economic uncertainty.

The leftist leader made his remarks following the imposition of tariffs by United States President Donald Trump on countries across the globe, including those in the region.

"In that southern part of the Americas, where we are one of the two small countries in the Mercosur alliance, we have come to understand that our enduring vocation is to coordinate, to integrate, in a world where, every week or even every day, we are met with surprises and uncertainty," said Orsi, speaking from Panama.

"We want to be the path of assurance, of certainty," he added, during a brief appearance before the press alongside President José Raúl Mulino, a conservative.

The two presidents held a meeting lasting more than an hour and a half at the Palacio de Las Garzas, seat of the Panamanian government, during Orsi’s first international tour since taking office on 1 March.

Uruguay is a member of Mercosur along with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia. In December, Panama joined the trade bloc as an associate member.

"The fact that Panama has begun a new era of looking southward is in search of opportunities — not only in terms of employment, business, and friendship, but also for regional integration — and today I believe we have taken a firm step in that direction," said Mulino.

The global economy continued to reel on Monday following Trump’s announcement of tariffs on imports from his country’s trading partners, including those in Latin America.

From Panama, Orsi will travel to Honduras, where he is scheduled to take part on in the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

– TIMES/AFP