By Prensa Latina
Mexico city : Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has called for the creation of the Organisation of Latin American States (OLAS) to fight the challenges to the region jointly.
The OLAS has been a long-standing demand of some countries in the region.
Correa spoke at a welcoming ceremony in his honour by his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon Friday.
The Latin America of the 21st Century must uphold the love for freedom of its ancestors and the pro-independence legacy of their heroic deeds for our liberation, Correa said.
It was necessary to support the Latin American development and integration with absolute respect for the international law, which was possible only if the national interests were looked after without invoking tutelage from outsiders, he said.
He said the OLAS must be a group of independent, sovereign nations to protect the hopes and demands of people and contribute to the principles of self-determination and continental solidarity.