"Uruguay’s President, Yamandu Orsi, on Saturday assumed the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) during the CELAC–Africa forum held in Bogota. Footage shows Colombian President Gustavo Petro handing over the CELAC flag to his Uruguayan counterpart. In his first address as leader of the regional bloc, Orsi underscored the importance of dialogue as a central tool in conflict resolution. "Uruguay assumes this pro tempore presidency with humility, but also with a clear conviction. We believe in dialogue, we believe in cooperation, we believe in the pursuit of consensus as a method," the president said. The pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) involves coordinating regional agendas on key issues such as economic integration, climate change, food security and political cooperation among its 33 member states. During his remarks, the Uruguayan leader stressed that this new role represents not only a diplomatic honour, but also a continuation of his country’s historic principles in foreign policy. "Uruguay assumes this responsibility today with the commitment to strengthen a framework of cooperation that brings together 33 countries of South America, Latin America and the Caribbean," Orsi added. International security was one of the central themes of his speech. Orsi warned about the expansion of armed conflicts in different regions of the world and called for keeping channels of dialogue open as a strategic priority. "In a world where armed conflict is once again expanding, our region has managed to remain a zone of peace. Preserving peace requires cooperation. It requires spaces such as CELAC," he went on. In closing, Orsi stressed that peace must be understood as an active construction based on agreements and political will. "Choosing peace above all. Choosing it not as an empty slogan, but as a living way of building freedoms," Orsi said. CELAC was created in 2010 to enable countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to work together, take coordinated decisions and have their own voice on the international stage, with the main objective of promoting integration, cooperation and political coordination among its member states."