With the motto “Fraternity and Consensus for a Renewed Service”, the Meeting of the Bolivarian Zone of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean was held from September 2 to 5, 2025, at the headquarters of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), located in Usaquén, Bogotá.

The event brought together the National Directors and representative teams of the Cáritas of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, led by Dr. Janeth Márquez, national director of Cáritas Venezuela and coordinator of the Bolivarian Zone, with the fundamental objective of strengthening ties of fraternity and collaboration, and defining a common strategic roadmap for charitable and development work in the region.

Key axes: diagnosis, reflection and strategic planning

The work agenda, structured under the See, Judge and Act methodology, allowed participants to carry out a deep analysis of the social reality of the Bolivarian zone, identify the main challenges and opportunities, and agree on concrete actions to advance the articulated work.

The central axes of the agenda included: 1. Regional Diagnosis (See): An analysis of the «pains and hopes» of the area based on listening to the Regional Meetings held by the CELAM, updated with the specific reality of each country presented by the directors, to identify common trends that affect the most vulnerable populations; 2. Synodal Reflection (Judge):A space to delve into the Synod implementation process, identifying how its conclusions guide the mission of Caritas on the continent; 3. Strategic Planning (Act): Progress was made in defining the Modus Operandi of the area, strategies for the financial sustainability of the National Caritas, compliance with statutory quotas and the standardization of processes. Likewise, key contributions were made to the next Meeting of Cáritas LAC Directors in the Dominican Republic and preparations began for the Cáritas LAC 2027 Congress.

Modus operandi: strategic framework for the local and global mission

A key point on the agenda was the deepening of the Modus Operandi established by Cáritas Internationalis, understood as the strategic framework and operational that guides the mission and joint action of the entire confederation. During the meeting, it was highlighted that this common framework does not seek homogenization, but on the contrary, provides a solid base of principles, standards and best practices that each National Caritas is called to contextualize and adapt to its local reality, capacities and specific processes. This exercise of “localization” is essential to guarantee that actions are relevant, effective and genuinely respond to the particular cries and needs of each country, at the same time strengthening the identity and collective impact of the Cáritas network in the world.

This meeting served as a vital space of synodality in action, reinforcing the commitment of the Cáritas of the Bolivarian Zone with coordinated, efficient and hopeful work, oriented to the service of the poorest and most excluded.