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LATIN AMERICA |
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Colombia Absence Hinders UNASUR Meeting Aims
QUITO - Absence of Colombian Foreign Affairs
and Defense ministers in the meeting
scheduled for Friday with their peers from
the 11 other members of the Union of south
American Nations (UNASUR) is hindering the
possibility of easing the current regional
tension.
After Colombia signed an agreement with the
United States, allowing US troops in its
territory, Venezuela and other regional
countries denounced that fact, as a threat
to their sovereignty.
Recent publication of a US Air Force
document confirmed that threat, admitting
that its military presence was important,
besides the put-forward argument of the
anti-drug struggle, due to the closeness of
"anti-US" governments.
In compliance with the Bariloche summit
mandate on August 28, 2009, the ministers
have planned to continue designing on Friday
"Measures to Foster Trust and Security among
the UNASUR" member countries, a process
started on September 15.
In this reference, Ecuadorian Foreign
Minister Fander Falconi recalled this week
that "there is a complicated atmosphere in
the region, due to tension between Peru and
Chile, because of alleged Chilean spying,
and the unease caused by the military
cooperation agreement between Colombia and
the United States.
Bogota's limitation of its presence in the
extraordinary ministerial meeting in Quito
to "a technical delegation" hinders any
substantial progress in creating the Peace
Agreement proposed by Peru and the rights
demanded about the use of those military
bases.
Accordig to a communique by the Foreign
Ministry, published on Wednesday, Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa, as pro tempore
UNASUR chairman, promised his effort to
include the Peruvian proposal in the agenda.
That proposal intends that the UNASUR
members sign an Agrement of Peace and
Non-Aggression, create a South American
Peace Force and reduce war weapons buys in
the five upcoming years, for which
Colombia's non-participation would make any
debate ineffective. |
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