Pyongyang, December 9 (KCNA) -- Countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region have bolstered their efforts to defend sovereignty and independence free from the U.S. political domination.

The Third Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Caracas, Venezuela between Dec. 2 and 3.

At the summit the founding of a new political bloc, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) made up of 33 American countries except U.S. and Canada, was officially proclaimed.

The founding of CELAC is a result of the concerted efforts made by the regional countries to end the U.S. political domination, make independent development and boost regional influence in the international arena.

The Latin American countries stepped up the regional integration and, at the same time, pushed forward the founding of the regional community with an objective to terminate the U.S. domination.

The First Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on the regional integration and development was convened in December, 2008 with the attendance of 33 countries except U.S. and Canada. At the meeting they agreed to organize CELAC. A resolution on founding CELAC was adopted at the Second Summit in Mexico in February, 2010.

This led to the official organization of CELAC.

Heads of state including Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Colombia described the foundation of CELAC as a landmark event for independence in the present era and the regional development, voicing their will to strengthen it into a political bloc that exercises big influence in the international arena.