South America to Ask US to Explain Policy
Quito - South American presidents at
the UNASUR summit in this capital supported
the proposal of requesting that the United
States explained its policy towards this
region, due to the establishment of US
military bases in Colombia.
The proposal was presented by Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the
Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)
meeting, which is currently held in Quito
and during which the Ecuadorian head of
State Rafael Correa assumed the pro tempore
presidency of this bloc.
In believe that requesting a direct dialogue
between US President Barack Obama and UNASUR
is imperative, with a view to know the White
House intentions, the Brazilian president
said when speaking during this meeting at
the San Agustin convent chapterhouse, where
the first Ecuadorian Declaration of
Independence was registered 200 years ago.
"UNASUR could call the US government any
time to talk about the regional issues that
we consider important," Lula said.
His Argentinian peer Cristina Fernandez
supported this proposal and highlighted the
need to know the US government's true
intentions, because the State Department has
been making decisions lately that do not
match with Obama's statements, she said.
In reference to holding an urgent meeting
among the bloc's heads of State and
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to analyze
the issue of the US military bases, she
proposed making Buenos Aires the venue.
Bolivian President Evo Morales condemned the
Colombian government decision of
establishing Pentagon bases in that
territory, and clarified that such decision
was made, behind the people's back.
Although this issue was not in the UNASUR
meeting's agenda, it was presented by
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who warned
about the destabilizing process that hovers
over the region, establishing those US
military bases.
"The military bases that The United States
is trying to establish in Colombia could
unleash a war in the region, and my country
feels threatened, because Venezuela is being
accused of sheltering terrorist groups, to
create the necessary conditions to attack
it," he warned.
"Winds of war have begun to blow" in the
region, and Venezuela "is getting ready" for
a supposed military confrontation, because
we will respond to any aggression," he siad
Presidents agreed to analyze this issue at
the South American foreign affairs and
defense ministers' meeting on August 24, and
summon an urgent meeting among heads of
State, if it were necessary, to discuss the
issue with Colombia. |
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