The Latin American Crystallographic Association (LACA) was founded in a Regional Meeting in Argentina, in 2013
The countries whose crystallographic communities were represented in the 2013 General Assembly Meeting that approved the LACA foundation were:
- México (Mexican Crystallographic Society - SBCr),
- Venezuela (several established and consolidated groups),
- Colombia (several established and consolidated groups),
- Brazil (Brazilian Crystallographic Association - ABCr),
- Chile (several established and consolidated groups),
- Argentina (Argentinean Crystallographic Association - AACr),
- Peru (several established and consolidated groups)
- Uruguay (Uruguayan Crystallographic Net - RUCr).
- Costa Rica (Costa Rican Union of Crystallography - UCRC)
- Cuba (several established and consolidated groups)
New existing groups have started their own national societies or collaborative projects in Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama) and in South America (Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay).
On October 29, 2013, the First Latin American Crystallography Congress was organized in Córdoba, Argentina. During this meeting, more than 150 delegates of the different countries agreed on the formation of the Latin American Crystallographic Association (LACA), and subscribed the LACA Foundation Act. The remaining countries were invited to join the LACA as single country members or as a United Group of Latin American Countries.
First annoucement of the 2015 Joint Meeting of the LACA and ABCr in São Paulo, Brazil
A Newsletter dedicated to report all the Latin American activities will be created in the near future. This will certainly improve the level of information for students and researchers and promote interaction in all areas of science where crystallography plays a key role.