The Latin American Association of Mycology

The Latin American Association of Mycology (ALM) was created during the V Latin American Botanical Congress held in Havana, Cuba, held from 24 to 29 June 1990, on the initiative of Dr. Gaston Guzman, who by his travels in South America , he had developed the idea. The enthusiastic welcome from Cuban mycologists, especially Dr. Miguel Rodríguez (†), made possible the consolidation of this partnership and therefore the first board of the ALM, under the chairmanship of Dr. Rodriguez was elected. This board appointed a committee to integrate members to the decisions made and was thus drafted the constitution and established the logo of the Association. In 1993, the First Latin American Congress of Mycology (I CLAM) was held in Havana and got the first directory of members was published in the Revista Iberoamericana de Mycology [Vol. 10 (1)], thanks to the collaboration of the editor of the journal, Dr. José M. Torres. In the general assembly of the I Congress he agreed to re-elect Dr. Rodriguez as president for the next triennium. n 1995, Dr. Jorge E. Wright Argentinos (†) and Dr. Daniel Cabral (†), published the first Bulletin of the ALM. A year later, in 1996, it took place in Havana CLAM II and the Board 1997-1999 chaired by Dr. Gioconda San Blas de Venezuela was elected. The Venezuelan Organizing Committee presented a new logo, developed the website of the Association, published a second directory of the active members and organized the III CLAM in Caracas, in 1999. In the general assembly of the congress, a modification of the approved statutes and logo that currently the Association was chosen. During the general assembly of III CLAM, Dr. Gaston Guzman was elected President for the period 2000-2002. Dr. Guzman and his deputy, Dr. Gerardo Mata, organized the website published two issues of the Bulletin of the Association and recorded the ALM. In 2002 he took place the IV CLAM, in Xalapa (Mexico) and there elected Dr. José Carmine Dianese of Brazil, as President of the Association for the period 2003-2005, who organized V CLAM in Brasilia in 2005 where Dr. Daniel Cabral was elected as President for the period 2006-2008. In 2008, Dr. Cabral organized the VI CLAM, in Mar del Plata, Argentina, but unfortunately, before the congress, Dr. Cabral died. However, through the efforts of the Board headed by Dr. Sofia Chulze as Vice President and with the support of the Organizing Committee, Congress was successful. During this Congress and as an idea of ​​Dr. Cabral, a tribute was made to the Doctors Carlos L. Spegazzini of Argentina, Carlos Chardon of Puerto Rico, Brazil Augusto Batista Chavez, Maria Eneida Kauffmann Fidalgo Brazil, Pablo Negroni of Argentina, Miguel Rodriguez of Cuba, Carlos da Silva Lacaz Brazil and Argentina Jorge E. Wright, who pioneered mycology in Latin America. It was further tribute to Dr. Cabral. In the Assembly of the VI CLAM, Dr. elected. Julieta Carranza San Jose, Costa Rica as President of the ALM for the period 2009-2011.