Image of an Infighting South America Is History, Says Brazil's Lula

[Judi Lynn]

Image of an Infighting South America Is History, Says Brazil's Lula
Written by Paula Laboissière
Friday, 30 May 2008

Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said May Monday, May 26, that the creation of the Unasur (Union of South American Nations) should change the geopolitics of South America, making its member countries "stronger and more sovereign." To Lula, the bloc's formation represents the realization of a dream.

"It seemed like something impossible to accomplish because here, in South America, we were made to believe that we wouldn't be successful in anything, that we are poor, that we fight amongst ourselves and must depend on the United States and the European Union," he asserted.

South American heads of state gathered last Friday, May 23, in the Brazilian capital Brasília for an extraordinary Unasur summit. The legal aspect had already been taken care of by diplomats from the countries involved, and the last details were defined in May.

In his weekly radio show "Breakfast with the President," Lula underscored the fact that the treaty establishing the Unasur is going to make it easier to negotiate with other blocs, as well as enable the construction of railways, highways, bridges, and transmission lines.

More:
http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/9368/