The Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) met today in Montevideo, Uruguay to appoint Mexico's Alejandro de la Peña as the new Secretary General.
De la Peña will begin his term on September 1. He takes over from Argentina's Carlos "Chacho" Álvarez. This is the first time that a Mexican has been appointed Secretary General of ALADI, a reflection of Mexico's commitment and leadership in the region.
Juan Carlos Baker Pineda, Undersecretary for Foreign Trade at the Economy Ministry, chaired the Mexican delegation. He was accompanied by Mexico's ambassador to Uruguay, Francisco Arroyo Vieyra.
The Secretary General-elect has experience in international trade negotiations and currently serves as Mexico's Alternate Representative to ALADI. He previously served as ambassador to Brazil; Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat in Singapore; ambassador of Mexico to the World Trade Organization and Alternate Representative to the GATT/WTO, among others.
His experience will help strengthen ALADI's role as an organization for integration and cooperation in Latin America.
ALADI currently has 13 member countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. In 2016, Mexico's trade with the ALADI countries reached USD 23 billion, which is 72% of Mexico's trade with Latin America and the Caribbean.