33 Latin American and Caribbean nations formed the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Venezuela on Saturday . . . the global role of CELAC remains uncertain but it will act as a forum for Latin American and Caribbean nations to hold meetings independently from other global organizations . . . CELAC includes every country in the Americas except the United States and Canada . . . Chile's President Sebastian Pinera will serve as the temporary president of CELAC until the next summit scheduled to be held in Chile next year . . . the Organization of American States (OAS) welcomed CELAC as "a new mechanism for political coordination and agreement in the region" and Chinese President Hu Jintao offered his congratulations . . . CELAC will likely serve as another voice for the region at international summits . . . some member countries would like CELAC to replace OAS while others want CELAC to operate complementary to it . . . CELAC will likely face divisions as countries critical of U.S. foreign policy -- such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela -- debate the role CELAC will play with countries like Mexico and Chile that remain close allies of the United States.