The Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean , or COPPPAL, is an international forum of political parties in Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

 and the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

.

Overview

COPPPAL was established during an October 12, 1979, conference in Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca, Oaxaca

The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...

, on the initiative of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), the ruling party in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 at the time. The multilateral non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 was defined by its charter as a "forum of nationalist parties that prioritize sovereignty, while advancing a more just and egalitarian international order."

The organization would advance this goal by

"defending democracy and the legal and political institutions while fostering their development and improvement; strengthening the principle of self-determination of the peoples of Latin America; promoting regional integration; supporting any initiative for disarmament; promoting the defense, sovereignty and better utilization of the natural resources of each country in the region; boosting development; promoting Latin American regional organizations and joint actions that will enable the establishment of a more just international economic order; defending and promoting respect for human rights."

The organization was led by the PRI between its establishment in 1979 and 1984, and again between 1989 and 2005. Antonio Cafiero

Antonio Cafiero

Antonio Francisco Cafiero is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician.-Biography:Cafiero was born in Buenos Aires. He joined Catholic Action in 1938, and enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires, becoming President of the Students' Association...

 of the Justicialist Party

Justicialist Party

The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...

 (Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

) was elected president of the coordinating committee in 2005, and Gustavo Carvajal Moreno of the PRI (Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

) was elected as its adjunct president. The committee coordinates youth exchange, consultative, and other activities among its member parties, as well as with the International Conference of Asian Political Parties

International Conference of Asian Political Parties

The International Conference of Asian Political Parties is a forum of political parties of Asia-Oceanian countries, which was launched in Manila Philippines in September 2000...

 (ICAPP).

Membership

The following political parties from the region are represented at COPPPAL (associate members in italics):

Nation	Member Parties
Argentina	Partido Intransigente - Partido Justicialista - Partido Socialista Socialist Party (Argentina) The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in Argentina. The history of socialism in Argentina began in the 1890s, when a group of people, notably Juan B. Justo, expressed the need for a greater social focus....  - Frente Grande - Unión Cívica Radical
Aruba	People's Electoral Movement People's Electoral Movement (Aruba) The People's Electoral Movement is a social democratic political party in Aruba.At the last elections for the Estates, 28 September 2001, the party won 52.4 % of popular votes and 12 out of 21 seats. 23 September 2005, the party won 43 % of the popular vote and 11 out of 21 seats and remained, led...
Belize	People's United Party People's United Party The People's United Party is one of two major political parties in Belize, and currently the main opposition party. It is a Christian Democratic party; the current Party Leader is Francis Fonseca....
Bolivia	Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia) The Revolutionary Left Movement - New Majority is a social democratic political party in Bolivia...  - Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario - Movimiento Bolivia Libre
Bonaire	Bonaire Democratic Party Bonaire Democratic Party The Bonaire Democratic Party is a political party in Bonaire, the Netherlands Antilles.At the legislative elections in the Netherlands Antilles, 18 January 2002, the party won 2.6 % of the popular vote and 1 out of 22 Parliament seats...
Brazil	Partido Democrático Trabalhista - Partido dos Trabalhadores - Movimento Democrático Brasileiro
Canada	Parti Québécois Parti Québécois The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
Chile	Partido Radical Socialdemócrata - Partido Socialista de Chile - Partido por la Democracia
Colombia	Partido Liberal Colombiano - Polo Democrático Independiente
Costa Rica	Partido Liberación Nacional
Cuba	Partido Comunista de Cuba
Curaçao	Frente Obrero Liberashon 30 Di Mei 1969 Party Workers' Liberation Front 30th of May The Party Workers' Liberation Front 30th of May is a populist political party in Curaçao, the Netherlands Antilles. During the general election held in the Netherlands Antilles in 2006 the party won just under 11% of the popular vote, and 2 of the possible 22 seats in the legislature.... - Partido Laboral Krusada Popular Labour Party People's Crusade The Labour Party People's Crusade is a political party in Curaçao. At the legislative elections in the Netherlands Antilles, 18 January 2002, the party won 12.1% of the popular vote and 2 out of 22 seats. At the elections of 27 January 2006, the party lost parliamentary representation....
Dominica	Dominica Labour Party Dominica Labour Party The Dominica Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Dominica.-History:Founded in 1955 by Phyllis Shand Allfrey and Emmanuel Christopher Loblack, it is the oldest political party in Dominica. It first contested general elections in 1961, winning seven of the eleven seats. In the next...
Dominican Republic	Partido Revolucionario Dominicano - Partido de la Liberación Dominicana - Partido Revolucionario Social Demócrata
Ecuador	Izquierda Democrática - Partido Roldosista Ecuatoriano - Partido Socialista-Frente Amplio
El Salvador	Frente Farabundo Martí de Liberación Nacional - Cambio Democrático Democratic Change (El Salvador) Democratic Change is a newly formed, center-left political party in El Salvador. It was formed by ex-members of the Christian Democratic Party , Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front , and United Democratic Center...
Haiti	Fusion des Sociaux-Démocrates Haïtiens Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats The Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats is a political party in Haiti. In the presidential elections of 7 February 2006, its candidate Serge Gilles won 2,62 % of the popular vote. In the 7 February 2006 Senate elections, the party won 9.9 % of the popular vote and 4 out of 30 Senators, taking...  - Òganizasyon Pèp Kap Lité Struggling People's Organization The Struggling People's Organization is a Haitian political party originating from the Lavalas political movement...
Honduras	Partido Liberal
Jamaica	People's National Party People's National Party The People's National Party is a social democratic and social liberal Jamaican political party, founded by Norman Manley in 1938. It is the oldest political party in the Anglophone Caribbean and one of the main two political parties in Jamaica. Out of the two major parties, it is considered more...
Mexico	Partido Revolucionario Institucional - Partido del Trabajo - Partido de la Revolución Democrática - Convergencia
Nicaragua	Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional
Panama	Partido Revolucionario Democrático
Peru	Partido Aprista Peruano
Puerto Rico	Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño
Saint Lucia	Saint Lucia Labour Party Saint Lucia Labour Party The Saint Lucia Labour Party is a social democratic political party in Saint Lucia. It currently holds ten of the 17 seats in the House of Assembly.-History:...
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Unity Labour Party Unity Labour Party The Unity Labour Party is a democratic socialist political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Currently the governing party, it is led by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.-History:...
Uruguay	Frente Amplio Broad Front (Uruguay) The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...  - Partido Colorado Colorado Party (Uruguay) The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....  - Partido Nacional National Party (Uruguay) The National Party , also known as the White Party , is a major right-wing conservative political party in Uruguay, currently the major opposition party to the ruling Frente Amplio government....
Venezuela	Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela - Acción Democrática- Movimiento al Socialismo Movement for Socialism (Venezuela) Movement for Socialism is a center-left political party in Venezuela.-History:The Movement for Socialism is a social-democratic political party in Venezuela. MAS was founded in 1971 by a faction of the Communist Party of Venezuela, with a view to emphasising a socialist message...  - PODEMOS For Social Democracy PODEMOS is a political party in Venezuela. In the 2005 legislative elections the party won 15 out of 165 seats in the National Assembly....  - Movimiento Electoral del Pueblo