The meeting between the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Ambassadors of GRULAC – the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries – promoted by the Order of Malta’s Grand Chancellor, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, took place today at the Magistral Villa in Rome, in collaboration with the Ambassador of Mexico to the Holy See and Dean of the Latin American Diplomatic Corps, Alberto Barranco Chavarría.
The meeting was an important opportunity for dialogue on the diplomatic and operational level aimed at consolidating the Order of Malta’s historic presence in the Latin American and Caribbean region since the post-World War II period and strengthening new humanitarian synergies with the countries of the area.
In his opening remarks, the Grand Chancellor said that “today’s meeting stems not only from a desire to continue an already existing dialogue, but also from a willingness to implement it. We are here because we believe that the relationship between the Order of Malta and Latin America can enter a more intense, more operational and more strategic phase.” As recently recalled by Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap in his address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Order of Malta, “Latin America continues to be of primary importance in the history of the Order,” thanks to the long-lasting contribution of national associations and welfare works developed on the continent. Paternò also announced the Order of Malta’s intention to consider its candidacy as Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States (OAS).
During the meeting, Grand Hospitalier Josef D. Blotz outlined the main lines of the Order’s humanitarian action in the area. Areas of intervention include health care, food support, care for the most vulnerable, assistance to migrants and refugees, education programmes and social development projects targeting the more fragile communities.
The Order of Malta’s presence in Latin America and the Caribbean fits into this framework, where it enjoys diplomatic relations with 27 nations and promotes humanitarian initiatives in numerous countries on the continent, including Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Venezuela, Paraguay and Peru. Interventions include mobile clinics, paediatric healthcare programmes, food-security initiatives and vocational training, as well as support services for the elderly and communities affected by natural disasters.
Particular attention was dedicated to the upcoming Sovereign Order of Malta 10th Conference of the Americas, scheduled for 22-25 October 2026 in Buenos Aires. It will bring together the Order’s Associations, Relief Corps and Embassies on the continent together with the Government of the Order of Malta to coordinate new regional initiatives and strengthen cooperation on the American continent. The conference will also be followed by a series of official visits by the Grand Master to some Southern Cone countries.
Within the framework of strengthening the Order’s social and humanitarian presence in the region, the Order of Malta Donors for Projects Foundation (OMDP), created in 2024 to support small and medium-sized social development projects promoted by the Order’s entities worldwide, was also presented at the meeting. The OMDP Foundation supports initiatives in the areas of health, education, vocational training, women’s empowerment, food security and sustainable development, promoting projects in the medium to long term and concretely contributing to the achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals included in the United Nations Agenda 2030.
Currently, three projects supported by the OMDP are already active in Latin America. In Costa Rica, with the Walking Laboratory dedicated to children with neuromuscular diseases, in El Salvador, through expanding the Order of Malta clinics for the most vulnerable populations and in Brazil, with vocational training programmes aimed at women in fragile contexts.
