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Central American Organizations

Last modified: 2010-02-12 by dov gutterman
Keywords: america | central america | dominican republic | panama | honduras | nicaragua | guatemala | el salvador | odeca | belize | parliament | sica |
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Central American Parliament (Parlamento Centroamericano)


image by Fred Drews, 12 August 2008


the emblem
image by Fred Drews, 12 August 2008

Here is a photo of the flag. You can see the seal at <www.pentanet.com.mx> (defunct).
Fred Drews, 9 September 1999 and Alvin Helms, 2 November 1999

Early this week (September 3-4) Mexico summoned the leaders of the Central-American Parliament, plus those from Belize and Panama. In the meeting room appeared the flag of the seven participant countries, in between them those of Mexico and of the Central American Parliament (CAP). The meeting was broadcasted by the cable-channel "Canal de Congreso". The CAP's flag is plain dark blue with the emblem in the center. The emblem consists of a white ring with five blue five-pointed stars in the upper hemi-circle and the body's name in capital letters also in blue on the lower one. On the ring, centered, six triangles, one in white and bigger than the others. The remainder five, aligned in the largest one's base, are blue. The triangles stands for volcanoes, geographic feature of Central-America. There are a Blue flag as hoisted jointly to the other during the Mexico's meeting, as well a Blue flag with gold fringe as appeared on the presidium table during the meeting.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascan, 6 September 2002

Costa Rica and Belize are not not a members of the Central American Parliament. There are only 6 member states: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Dominican Republic.  Also there are 3 observant members: Puerto Rico, Mexico and Taiwan. As per their website <www.parlacen.org.gt >.
Doel A. Rodríguez, 27 November 2002

The letters on the flag must be black.
Jaume Olle', 17 October 2004

Central American Parlament change to 6 stars after the Dominican Republic was admited. See photos of the flag and coat of arms.
Fred Drews, 17 July 2007

Previous Flags with 5 Stars


image by Jaume Olle', 17 October 2004


Ceremonial Flag
image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascan, 6 September 2002

Parlacen Presidential Sash


images by Fred Drews, 17 July 2007


Organization of Central American States (ODECA - Organización de Estados Centroamericanos)

The Flag


image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascan, 19 September 2002

The flag of Organización de Estados Centroamericanos (ODECA) / Organization of Central American States. Image can be found in "Flaggor från hela världen" by Mauro Talocci.
Marcus Wendel
, 4 September 1999

The flag and emblem of the Central American States Organization are according to brochures provided by the Costa Rica embassy to Mexico.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascan, 19 September 2002

Organization of Central American States is presented in 1995 issue of l'Album. Nothing of the sort appears in Album 2000. However, the image above and that in 1995 Album are slightly different (in colouring in the emblem and level of details). Anyway, if I understood rigthly this organization is no longer active and was replaced by the Parlamento Centroamericano which uses an other flag. Regarding the ODECA flag and emblem, both drawing by Juan Manuel, they also differ in colouring (especially of the ring containing the text). Is this by purpose?
Željko Heimer, 14 December 2003

See also: <www.casapres.gob.sv>

Coat of Arms


image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascan, 19 September 2002

Coat of Arms of the Organization of Central American States. this organization has been replaced by the Central American Parliament and the SIECA. Also here is an image of its flag.
Fred Drews , 8 September 1999


Secretariat for Central American Integration (SICA - Secretaría de Integración Centroamericana)


image by Fred Drews , 24 May 2000


Coat of Arms
image contributed by Fred Drews , 9 September 1999

I am in El Salvador and have found that the flag is not of the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) but the flag of the Secretariat for Central American Integration (SICA). The Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA) is a subdivision of SICA. I went today to visit the building and has the flag flying in front of it and it says SICA in front of it.
by Fred Drews, 20 October 2000

There are some better images and detailed descriptions at wikipedia.
Description of a flag from official site:
"The flag has navy blue background with SICA emblem in the center, the spheres do not have any name or acronym, the black spheres symbolize the four Systems, the words PAZ (PEACE), LIBERTAD (LIBERTY), DEMOCRACIA (DEMOCRACY) and DESARROLLO (DEVELOPMENT) written in black encircle the emblem. These colors were used in ODECA symbols; blue symbolizes unity, white symbolizes peace in the region, and green represents the natural resources."
And description of coat of arms:
"The coat of arms comprises an external circle in gold color with the words SISTEMA DE LA INTEGRACIÓN CENTROAMERICANA (CENTRAL AMERICAN SYSTEM INTEGRATION) and the SICA acronym in the lower part. These words encircle a round area in green that contains SICA scheme.
The map of the Central American Isthmus in blue is on the scheme on a green background; the concentric circles are in gold color. A partial silhouette of a white circular area in the center of this scheme, surrounded by green and behind a blue map.
Spherical golden figures of various sizes in which the acronyms are written, on the concentric circles.
The four biggest spheres located at the cardinal points symbolize the sub-systems of the economic, social, cultural and political integration; the medium-size spheres linearly interconnected symbolize SICA bodies; and the smallest spheres near the outer concentric circles symbolize the regional institutional organization and their interrelation. The coat of arms is encircled by the words written in golden letters: PAZ, DEMOCRACIA, DESARROLLO Y LIBERTAD (PEACE, DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT, AND LIBERTY)."
Sources: <www.sica.int>, wikipedia.
Aleksandar Nemet, 3 November 2009

It should be noted that the wikipedia clearly shows the Dominican Republic on the flag, so this is a later version of the flag as the DR only joined as an
associate member in 2003. Belize was admitted in 2000, possibly it may not have been on original version of the flag either.
Ben Cahoon, 3 November 2009


Central American Common Market (CACM)

From <www.infoplease.com>: "Central American Common Market (CACM), trade organization started in 1960 by a treaty between Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and later Costa Rica. By the mid-1960s the group had made advances toward economic integration, and by 1970 trade between member nations had risen more than tenfold over 1960 levels. During the same period, imports doubled and a common tariff was established for 98% of the trade with nonmember countries. In 1967, at the conference of American presidents at Punta del Este, Uruguay, it was decided that CACM, together with the Latin American Free Trade Association, would be the basis for a comprehensive Latin American common market. However, by the early 1990s little progress toward a Latin American common market had been made, in part because of internal and internecine strife, in part because CACM economies were competitive, not complementary. Nonetheless, CACM has been judged more successful at lowering trade barriers than other Latin American groupings.
Francisco Santos, 7 August 2003