The Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC for its initials in Spanish, will kick off Tuesday in the Cuban capital of Havana under the theme of "The Fight Against Poverty, Hunger and Inequality." CELAC is a regional bloc of 33 countries with a population of some 600 million. It was formed at the Unity Summit, which consisted of the 21st Summit of the Rio Group and the Second Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development (CALC), in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico on Feb. 23, 2010. The bloc, the result of a decade-long push for deeper integration within the Americas, seeks to deepen political, economic, social and cultural integration in Latin America and the Caribbean, and reduce the influence of the United States in the region. CELAC is a successor of the Rio Group and CALC, and its essential objectives are as follows: -- To reaffirm the preservation of democracy and democratic values, the validity of institutions and the rule of law, and the commitment to the full respect and observance of all human rights for everyone; -- To enhance political dialogue among its member states and strengthen political coordination that will support the bloc's international position and promote Latin American and Caribbean interests at international fora; -- To enhance coordination of regional positions ahead of meetings and conferences of global reach, and adopt a more dynamic profile for political consultation and dialogue with other regions and countries; -- To promote an integrated agenda so as to achieve cooperation, equitable economic growth, social justice, sustainable development and the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole. The first CELAC summit was hosted by Chile on Jan. 27-28, 2013 with member nations calling in the Declaration of Santiago for greater regional integration while acknowledging the diversity of political and social models in the region, among other issues