Venezuela, Brazil to
Discuss Creation of
Latin American
Security Council
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez will travel
to Brazil this week to
discuss with his
Brazilian counterpart on
creation of an
integrated defense
council for Latin
America, local media
reported Tuesday.
Brazilian president Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva
proposed such an
establishment following
a cross-border raid by
Colombia on a base of
its rebel group in
Ecuador.
Colombian government
forces attacked the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC)
in Ecuador on March 1,
killing 21 people,
including the group's
number-two leader Raul
Reyes.
The raid triggered
regional tensions as
Ecuador and Venezuela
sent troops to their
borders with Colombia
and Ecuador severed
diplomatic relations
with Colombia shortly
after the attack.
Chavez's trip, planned
for Wednesday to Friday,
also aims to boost oil
cooperation with Brazil
and advance Venezuela's
bid for membership in
the Common Market of the
South (Mercosur).
Chavez and Lula are
expected to visit the
site of a joint oil
refinery in Brazil's
northeastern province of
Pernambuco, which is run
60 percent by Brazilian
oil giant Petrobas and
40 percent by its
Venezuelan equivalent
PDVSA. The refinery will
be able to process
200,000 barrels of oil
per day upon completion.
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