The Andean Community (CAN) is an international organization formed by several institutions that altogether constitute the Andean System of Integration (SAI in Spanish).

On the 26^th of May in 1969, all member states signed the Cartagena Agreement, a constitutive treaty that was aimed to lay down the purposes and goals of the Andean integration, along with defining its institutional system and establishing mechanisms and policies that must be followed by the community authorities.

The CAN was originally a free trade area, and later it became a custom union. Currently it is developing a Common Market, but among the member states there’s already operating a new system of free movement of people, since no visa neither passport are required to travel from one country to another.

But talking about economics and business, the main commercial partners of the Andean Community are the European Union, the United States, Mercosur and China.

The Andean Community pretends to accomplish a set of goals that provide a more balanced situation and a comprehensive self-development through Latin American cooperation.

• ·         Promote the sustainable and also harmonic development of the member states according to equity, integration and economic and social cooperation parameters.
• ·         Rev up the growth and creation of productive employment for the member states.
• ·         Bet on regional integration processes looking to the birth of a common Latin American market.
• ·         Diminish the external vulnerability and improve the international economic position of the member states.
• ·         Strengthen the solidarity among Latin subregions and lessen the current development inequalities among member countries.
• ·         Guarantee an improvement in the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Andean region.