From June 30 to July 2, Panama City hosted the zonal meeting called "Brasilerito" of the CAMEX Zone, a space for preparation, reflection and articulation that brought together delegations from the six countries that make up the region of Central America and Mexico.

The central purpose of the event was to identify common problems, make grateful memory of the presence of Cáritas in the area and agree on strategic priorities as a block, on the path of preparation towards the XXI Regional Congress of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean, which will take place in Brazil in February 2027.

Reunion, ecclesial identity and zonal contributions

During the three days of work, bishops, national directors and members of national Caritas on social reality and the role of the Church in the face of inequalities. With the contribution of Dr. Jon Subinas, from the International Center for Political and Social Studies (CIEPS), the participants were able to make a deep conjunctural analysis of the democracies in the countries that make up the Camex zone: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Mexico.

In this regard, Wilfredo Cervantes, director of Cáritas Honduras and coordinator of the CAMEX Zone, highlighted the climate of fraternity and the diversity of views that enriched the dialogue:

We have been in Panama, in this space, this meeting of the Camex zone, a little to meet again, to identify those, those clamors, those lines of common work that the Cáritas of the area have and also return to that identity that we have as a church to later join the Congress of Latin America and the Caribbean, making our contribution as a zone. It has been an event of great closeness, a lot of fraternity. We have had the participation of our bishops, national directors, members of the National Office teams and also of some dioceses, to share from different perspectives, as I said, these cries and the challenges that this represents for us.

Youth and integration of transversal axes

Paola Oviedo, member of Cáritas Mexicana and regional youth leader in Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean, shared the importance of integrating youth on the path to the great regional event:

In this Brasilerito of the Cámex Zone I was participating and it has really been a very profitable experience because we could see that we still have a lot of work, we have to encourage the young people who are both within Caritas and those we seek to go out to support and promote. I have also seen all the work as a regional reference to walk around Brazil in 2027 and that leads us to continue encouraging not only the group of young people but to really integrate and involve it along with the other transversal issues that is gender and that is older people." territorial.

Pastoral enrichment and commitment to transformation

A point highlighted by Wilfredo and also reflects the commitment to accompaniment to the social reality of the region is the participation of the bishops presidents of the national Caritas, who encouraged them to take the conclusions to their countries to consolidate processes of continuous improvement and impact in favor of those most in need.

Monsignor Engelberto Polino, bishop of Tepic and president of Cáritas Mexican, summarized the fraternal and methodological impact of the meeting. “I appreciate the opportunity that this Latin American experience has given us to be able to participate in this Brasilerito in this city of Panama. It has been a very enriching experience," he highlighted.

The fact of meeting people who are working on social issues, social pastoral care, Caritas, in different countries, is already very enriching. Talking when we meet, during breaks, in the dining room and even more so when we have worked in these teams looking for common problems in each of these countries, of these Caritas, has been very rich. Being able to share by country, then being able to share our experiences with other countries conclusions, seeing how there are coincidences, how there are also divergences, because it has been very enriching.

Monsignor Polino emphasizes that each participant carries this beautiful experience "with the desire to also be able to land what we have experienced to be able to influence more in a transformation, in an improvement of our processes and of our Caritas pastoral work in our countries."

Country consensus and Panamanian hospitality

By For its part, the host delegation valued the opportunity to receive the brothers from the region and the block's ability to reach collective agreements on fundamental issues for integral human development.

Manuel Amaya, from Cáritas Panama, expressed his satisfaction with the achievements achieved during the day:

It is a pleasure to have received all the colleagues at this Brasileritos congress here in Panama, all our brothers from all the Caritas of Camex. Also a very nice experience. having participated as Camex and as Panama at the time of everything that has been fully discussed and what is going to be reached and how to reach consensus as Camex countries on different issues that we have talked about and we have reached a consensus as Camex. So it is a pleasure and I hope to be and meet with all of you in Brazil.

With the inputs built in Panama City, the CAMEX Zone takes a firm step in its synodal articulation process, carrying the voice and realities of Central America and Mexico towards the Regional Congress of Brazil 2027.