The Hindu : International : South America meet for economic bloc

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

International

International

South America meet for economic bloc

CUZCO (PERU), DEC. 8. Presidents and high-ranking officials from 12 South American countries are meeting in this ancient Inca capital high in the Andes to create a political and economic bloc to deal on a more equal footing with the United States and Europe.

The leaders will meet for a two-day summit starting on Wednesday to sign an accord establishing the South American Community of Nations. It is the third meeting of the group since 10 South American Presidents first gathered in 2000 in Brazil to discuss continent-wide problems and solutions.

But with three of the 12 countries' Presidents — Ecuador's Lucio Gutierrez, Uruguay's Jorge Batlle and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner — remaining at home and sending representatives, some critics questioned how serious the commitment was to forming a powerful regional bloc. Proponents of the new organisation were still optimistic. ``In the last 30 years we have sought a Latin America with the capacity for effective international action and we have not achieved it because the countries of South America have been scattered, not unified,'' said the Peruvian Foreign Minister, Manuel Rodriguez. ``With this new community, Latin America will be fortified.''

Caribbean community

He noted that the bloc would complement the Caribbean Community and the Central American Common Market.

The 12 nations include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, along with Guyana and Suriname, two countries that are participating for the first time. — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section