Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to address Canada's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, or LAC.

I'm Wendy Drukier, director general for South America and hemispheric affairs. I am accompanied today by Sylvie Bédard, director general for Central America and the Caribbean.

The Americas are our neighbourhood. There are a myriad of elements to highlight with respect to Canada's engagement and co-operation with the hemisphere. The strong people-to-people ties that exist among our countries can be clearly seen through the over one million individuals from LAC who call Canada home.

Canada is a trusted partner in the region, collaborating with several countries and the inter-American system on issues such as democracy, human rights, gender equality and economic growth.

Over the past year, we have seen high-level Canadian engagement in the region, including the Minister of International Development's participation in the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community—known as CARICOM—in Grenada, as well as his visits to Guatemala, Honduras, Bolivia and Peru.

In addition, the Minister of Foreign Affairs went to Mexico and Chile, and the Prime Minister went to Peru for the meeting of APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, as well as to Brazil for the G20 Summit.

Canada has a healthy and growing economic relationship with LAC. Since 2018, two-way merchandise and services trade has grown by 33% and 23% respectively. This economic relationship is underpinned by eight free trade agreements and a network of 25 trade commissioner offices across the region. The Canadian government's approach is informed by the expectation that Canadian companies operating abroad will abide by all relevant laws, respect human rights, and adopt best practices and internationally respected guidelines on responsible business conduct.

We recognize that a healthy and growing economic relationship needs to be inclusive to better address poverty in the region. Canada's international assistance for the region was valued at $1.07 billion in fiscal year 2022-23, with the Caribbean, Haiti, Honduras and Colombia being the main beneficiaries.

It's hardly necessary to point out the effects of climate change on the Americas. When Hurricane Beryl hit the Caribbean this year, Canada was one of the leading donors of humanitarian assistance.

In 2022‑23, the Canadian government invested $252 million to implement climate change programs in the region. These programs support the clean energy transition, climate-smart agriculture, biodiversity protection, disaster preparedness and recovery.

Strengthening democratic institutions in the region is a key priority for the Government of Canada, in particular in the face of the erosion of those institutions in some countries. Through the Organization of American States, of which Canada has been a member since 1990, Canada provided technical support to eight electoral management bodies over the past three years to bolster their capacities to administer electoral processes. Notably, the OAS, with support from Canada and other member states, directly contributed to avoiding a democratic breakdown in Guatemala late last year.

Canada continues to support free and fair elections. In Venezuela the Canadian government unequivocally condemns the escalating repression by the Maduro regime. In coordination with international partners, Canada demands that the democratic will of the Venezuelan people be respected. We continue to assess how best to support them.

The Government of Canada remains deeply concerned by the steep rates of irregular migration and forced displacement across the Americas, a trend that includes increasing numbers of women and children on the move and is exacerbated by the crises in Venezuela and Haiti. Through its international assistance, Canada aims to support transit and host countries, address the root causes of migration and displacement, and support the integration of refugees and migrants in their host communities.

Being a country of the Americas means we are affected by rising regional insecurity. Countries once considered stable are now grappling with increased organized crime and violence. This can have a direct impact on Canada. The Canadian government's approach to defence and security co-operation in the region includes significant investments in capacity building and specialized training, working with partners through such mechanisms as the anti-crime capacity-building program, and the weapons threat reduction program to address illegal drug threats and transnational crime. In a recent appearance before this committee, GAC officials presented a four-pillar strategy to the Haiti crisis.

In closing, sustained and meaningful Canadian engagement with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean is important, especially considering an increasingly complex, volatile and multipolar world.

We look forward to addressing the committee's questions.

Thank you.

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