Morales, Chavez, to Andean Summit
President of Bolivia Evo Morales is expected to travel to Quito Tuesday to assume the presidency of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), at a summit also to be attended by his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez.

Presidential spokesman Alex Contreras said that, while heading the bloc, Morales will strive to save its unity under the original principles and ideas, so that its five country members can act as a group, rather than individually.

He said President Chavez confirmed his attendance over the weekend.

According to Contreras, the meeting must decide whether the five nations make decisions jointly or individually, as has unfortunately happened in the last few months with the signing of free trade agreements with the US by Colombia and Peru.

This will be the main issue of the summit Tuesday, he said, in reference to a question about proposals to replace CAN with a Bolivarian confederation or with the South American Union.