Today, 28 years ago, on September 2, 1997 (August 1, 1997), Central American nations decided to establish a Central American Union. On September 2, 1997, Central American leaders held a special summit in Managua to discuss further strengthening regional integration. At the end of the meeting, the Nicaraguan Declaration was signed, which decided to begin the formation of the "Central American Union". The declaration states that Central America is a political, economic, social and cultural family of peoples with a common history and language, which is the foundation for the establishment of the Central American Union. The declaration noted that only the union can make full use of the wealth of the region and address the great challenges of the next century. The special summit was attended by the President of Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.