Chavez Hails Brazilian
Proposal On South
American Defense Council
Venezuela's President
Hugo Chavez Wednesday
hailed Brazil's proposal
to create a South
American defense
council, suggesting it
could serve as a South
Atlantic version of
NATO.
Chavez said he regarded
the proposal as
"extraordinary" when he
arrived in Recife, the
capital city of
northeastern Brazilian
state of Pernambuco, for
a meeting with his
Brazilian counterpart
Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva.
Chavez said he had
favored the creation of
a similar entity back in
1999, which failed to be
materialized due to lack
of enough support across
the region.
Chavez also praised the
response by Brazil's
Defense Minister Nelson
Jobim to U.S. Secretary
of Defense Robert Gates
on the creation of such
a council during his
recent trip to the
United States.
"I think that (Gates)
asked him what
Washington could do for
the creation of this
South American council
of defense, and (Jobim)
said 'nothing, do not do
anything because South
America will do it.
Leave us alone,'" said
Chavez.
According to Chavez, the
idea is similar to that
of the 19th century
Latin American hero
Simon Bolivar, who
liberated five South
American countries,
including Venezuela,
Ecuador, Colombia, Peru
and Bolivia, from
Spanish control.
Bolivar had proposed a
political, economic and
military alliance in the
region, Chavez said.
The proposal for the
defense council will be
presented to all the
countries in the region
starting on April 14,
when Jobim travels to
Venezuela.
During her trip to
Brazil in the beginning
of March, U.S. Secretary
of State Condoleezza
Rice had expressed
support for the idea,
saying the council would
provide a better control
over the borders in
South America and that
she trusted in the
Brazilian leadership to
carry out the project.
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