Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday called for the unity of Latin America in facing the world financial crisis.

According to reports from Tegucigalpa, Bachelet arrived in Honduras late Monday for an official visit to sign agreements on trade, science, technology and the environment with her Honduran counterpart Manuel Zelaya.

"Our people are demanding us convincing answers, and the truth is that a successful answer to the crisis depends on our capacity to work together in the region," Bachelet said.

The International Labor Organization estimates that 1.5 to 2.4 million jobs will be lost in Latin America due to the global financial crisis, which will affect economic growth in the region.

"In the last eight years we have had (in the region) important economic growth numbers," Bachelet said. She also said there has been improvement in social conditions compared with previous times.

Bachelet requested that Latin Americans see the crisis as an opportunity to improve the social and economic processes on the continent.

"We must stop the crisis and see where the opportunities are," she said.

Bachelet left Honduras later Tuesday for a trip to Cuba.

Source:Xinhua