The Dominican Republic has been chosen for the next temporary presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) during 2015. The announcement was made during the 4th Summit held 28-29 January 2015 in Costa Rica. CELAC brings together 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, representing roughly 600 million people. The country holding the Pro Tempore Presidency hosts the Summits of Heads of State and Government.
A successor of the Rio Group, CELAC was created in 2010 and established as of 3 December 2011 to deepen Latin American integration and reduce United States influence on the politics and economics of the region. It is viewed as an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS). The bloc is seen as a main forum for political dialogue for the region without the United States and Canada.
The member states are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The Presidency’s main responsibilities include organizing and chairing the Summit of Heads of State and Government and the meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and National Coordinators, enforcing the decisions of the Summits and the meetings, monitoring agreements reached at the meetings, submitting the Biennial Work Program of CELAC activities for consideration, formulating working papers, issuing minutes, organizing activities, creating and presenting the Annual Reports, and carrying on the Community legacy, as well as that of the Rio Group and Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development (CALC).
http://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/danilo-medina-regresa-de-la-iii-cumbre-de-la-celac-cargado-de-buenas-noticias
http://www.nti.org/treaties-and-regimes/community-latin-american-and-caribbean-states-celac/