Establishment: As proposed by the Parliament of Peru, the 119 parliament members of the 13 countries of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Mexico (plus 2 observers) had a meeting on 7-11 December 1964 in Lima, Peru, and it made the decision to set up the Latin America Parliament.


Aim: To promote the unity and solidarity of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean Region, and for the regional integration.


Members: The parliament is formed of the parliament members of the 22 countries in Latin America and Caribbean Region, and they are: Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Dutch Dependent Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela. Each member country may choose 12 parliament members to join the Latin America Parliament and participate in the activities with their terms of office to be decided by the parliament of the member country.


Organizations: 1. The Conference, the supreme organ of authority, which was convened once every two years before 1995, but the revised new rules and regulations made it once a year. 2. The Leaders' Committee: to be responsible for routine affairs during the adjournment period of the conference. The meeting is held once every six months and special meetings may be called if necessary. The committee is composed of president, two alternate presidents, vice-president (one for each member country), secretary-general, alternate secretary-general (one), secretary (three), ex-president and consultative council, etc. and the post of the president is taken up in turn by parliament member of the member country. 3. The general secretariat: the working body, which is located in Sao Paulo, Brazil (was located in Lima, Peru before July 1993). It plays a dual function of harmonization and supervision, and is in charge of calling meetings, assisting the Leaders' Committee to make preparations for the convening of conference and for drafting working documents, distributing agreement papers, proposals or statements, carrying out the budget and deliver fiscal year report, and so on. 4. The Standing Committee: Altogether 13, namely the political affairs' committee; economic, financial and foreign debts committee; agriculture, fishery and rural development committee; culture, education, science and technology committee; Aboriginal and ethnic affairs committee; Judicial committee; users and consumers protection committee; human rights committee; prevention and anti-drugs committee, energy resources and mineral ore committee; environment protection committee; health, labor and social insurance committee; public service committee. 5. Five Special Committees: women's committee; committee for opposing producing, unlawful trafficking of weapons and explosives; social liabilities committee; sub-region, province, prefecture and municipal affairs committee; labor and assurance committee. 6. The Consultative Council: a consultant body in charge of offering consultancy on making laws and political affairs. 7. Executive President: Juan Adolfo Singer, who is an assemblyman from the chamber of deputies of Uruguay, was elected in December, 1995 and renewed in December 1997 with the terms of office being of two years.


Major Activities: Up to the end of 1998, it had convened a total of 18 conferences. In August 1991, the 13th conference of the Latin America Parliament passed a resolution, proposing to set up a community of the Latin American Countries. In April 1995, the Leaders' Committee of the Latin America Parliament and the working group of the Rio Group jointly drafted a "Letter of Intent for Establishing the Community of the Latin American Countries". In recent years, the Latin America Parliament working together with the Association for the Integration of Latin America have actively promoted the advancement of Latin America Integration, pushed forward the harmonized and balanced development of social-economy in Latin America and realized the gradual establishment of the Latin America Common Market. The conference and its standing council have paid great attention to the study of such problems as regional integration, foreign debts, and model for economic development and adjustment of structures, etc. Many a time at conferences protests were made to denounce the???advocated by the United States, holding a view that the Latin American countries should jointly adopt measures to boycott it. In December 1997, the 17th conference of the parliament members of Latin America was convened in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the conference, such proposals as international financial crises, education, health, environment, protection of consumers' rights and interests, opposing armament race and the appraisal on the anti-drug struggle in Latin America made unilaterally by the USA, etc., were brought up for discussion, and a new leaders' committee was elected. In May 1998, the Latin America Parliament made a statement, denouncing the secret activities carried out by the USA on the territories of other countries under the pretext of fighting against international smuggling of drugs and money-grubbing. It was requested that the USA should adhere to the agreement signed between the Latin America and the USA in order to carry on the international cooperation for a joint anti-drug struggle on the basis of mutual respect for each other's territorial sovereignty.


In 1974, the Latin America Parliament and the European Parliament developed a relationship of a lasting dialogue, recognizing the roles played in each other's course of integration in their respective continents. Up to the end of 1997, a total of 13 dialogues were made between the two parliaments.


Relations between China and the Latin America Parliament: In March 1993, Qian Qichen, state council member and concurrently minister of foreign affairs, was invited to visit the headquarters of the Latin America Parliament during his visit to Brazil and met the assemblymen and members of the Leaders' Committee there. In September 1996, headed by??., the first alternate president of the Latin America Parliament and Mexican senator the delegation of the Latin America Parliament attended the 96th Conference of the All Countries Parliament Union held in Beijing. In September 1996, the standing committee of the Chinese People's Representatives Congress sent in an official letter to the Latin America Parliament, applying for becoming an observer in the organization. On 25 February 1997, Singer, the executive president wrote a letter to Qiao Shi, Chairman of the Chinese People's Representatives Congress expressed on behalf of the Latin America Parliament the profound condolences to the passing away of Deng Xiaoping. In March and April 1997, invited by the Chinese People's Representatives Congress, the delegations of the Latin America Parliament headed by Singer, the executive president and by Ney López Secretary general, paid a respective visit to China. Qiao Shi, Chairman of the Chinese People's Congress, Rong Yiren, Vice-chairman of the People's Republic of China, Chen Muhua, Vice-chairwoman of the Chinese People's Representative Congress and Zhu Liang, Deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Committee met and held banquets for the delegations. In May 1998, Tian Jiyun, Vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Representatives Congress, met López, the secretary general at the headquarters of the Latin America Parliament during his visit to Latin America.