South America creates regional union

[Judi Lynn]

South America creates regional union
By MARCO SIBAJA – 2 hours ago

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — A new South American union was born Friday as leaders of the region's 12 nations set out to create a continental parliament.

Some see the new organization, Unasur, as a regional version of the European Union. Summit host Brazil wants it to help coordinate defense affairs across South America and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez calls it a counterweight to the United States.

"The number one enemy of the union of the south is the empire of the United States," Chavez said, claiming that the U.S. is "trying to generate wars in South America" to "divide and conquer."

Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, invited other Latin American and Caribbean nations to join the venture. "Unasur is born, open to all the region, born under the signs of diversity and pluralism," he said.

More:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYwXUkXjzVHgHX9w0W0_F9zJe_DwD90RJB3O0

[Judi Lynn]

1. South American nations launch new policy group

South American nations launch new policy group
Published: Saturday, 24 May, 2008, 02:06 AM Doha Time

BRASILIA: The leaders of 12 South American nations founded a union yesterday aimed at boosting economic integration and political cohesion in the region, but disagreements stymied ambitious plans on defense and trade.

The heads of states signed a treaty that creates the South American Union of Nations, or Unasur, as well as plans for energy, infrastructure and financing projects.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed the organisation, which aspires to become like the European Union, as a sign that South America was becoming a “global actor” and said the differences between governments were a sign of vitality.

Unasur includes a revolving presidency, bi-annual meetings of foreign ministers and a parliament in Bolivia. – Reuters


http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=220231&version=1&template_id=43&parent_id=19

[struggle4progress]

2. South American nations to seek common currency

www.chinaview.cn 2008-05-27 09:42:46

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday that South American nations will seek a common currency as part of the region's integration efforts following the creation of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) last week.

"We are proceeding so as, in the future, we have a common central bank and a common currency," said Lula in his weekly radio program, noting that this process will "not be fast."

The president highlighted the importance of helping the group's more "economically fragile" members, such as Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia ...

Lula plans to visit Colombia in July and meet Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Colombia was the only member that opposed the plan to build the regional defense council designed to resolve regional conflicts, promote military cooperation and possibly coordinate joint weapons production in the region ...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/27/content_8260847.htm

[Judi Lynn]

3. Love the point Colombia dislikes the regional defense idea, itself having the second

largest military in South America, even though having far fewer people and far less land than the big countries. Uribe's military has been bought and outfitted by the U.S. taxpayers under _Bush's control.

How is Uribe going to feel save about invading far less protected countries now, knowing that they just may have allies who will step in to defend them?

_Bush is going to have to find a way to overthrow some more democratically elected Presidents, it seems.

[Bacchus39]

4. Colombia has the second largest population in South America

"itself having the second
largest military in South America, even though having far fewer people and far less land than the big countries"


wrong!!! but then again, completely predictable.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_American_countries_by_population_density



the second most populous country having the second largest military doesn't seem so extraordinary now does it??

[Judi Lynn]

5. Chile's Bachelet assumes rotating presidency of UNASUR

Chile's Bachelet assumes rotating presidency of UNASUR


www.chinaview.cn 2008-05-24 01:57:12

BRASILIA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, instead of Colombia's Alvaro Uribe, accepted the rotating presidency of the Union of South-American nations (UNASUR) in Brasilia on Friday.

Bachelet received this nomination from Bolivian President Evo Morales, who actually should pass the presidency to Uribe, but the latter declined, because of the conflict between his country, Ecuador and Venezuela, caused by the Colombian attack against a FARC camp in Ecuador.

After having accepted her functions, Bachelet said before her South-American counterparts that she would seek the consensus and use all the possible energy to put onto right way the South-American unity.

She also said that the UNASUR gave to the South America the chance to gain a more strong voice on the international scene.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/24/content_8240324.htm