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Latin America should focus on deepening regional integration and improving the quality of education to address inequality, said presidents from five countries in the region – Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama and Paraguay – in a plenary session on the final day of the World Economic Forum on Latin America.

“When our pineapples cross the border with Argentina to get to Chile, we have problems,” Paraguayan President Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez acknowledged. “We have common roots. We all agree on strengthening our democratic institutions because what is at stake is our future. Integration is possible.”

“We all want integration,” said Ricardo Martinelli, President of Panama. “However, when we get to the nitty-gritty, each country starts to fight for its own industries and agriculture. What it would take is a much broader attitude, which I don’t see. We have to think beyond all paradigms so that integration becomes a reality.” Added Martinelli: “I urge all presidents to go beyond pretty words and declarations and put their money where their mouths are.”

The presidents agreed that education is the key to addressing the challenge of inequality in Latin American societies. “The great challenge for Latin America is the education revolution,” said Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez. By improving education, a country can enhance its investment climate. “Investment is not an end in itself, but it is a means to overcome poverty and generate equity,” Uribe remarked. Watch the full plenary below.

SOURSE: http://www.forumblog.org/blog/americas/