[Venezuelanalysis.com's Michael Fox reports on the 2nd South American Summit held last week in Bolivia. On Saturday, at the close of the meeting, the twelve nations that attended signed the Cochabamba Declaration, which they called the “cornerstone of the South American process integration” and which calls for a new model of integration for the 21st century. --Ed]
South American Leaders Hold 2nd Summit for Integration
By Michael Fox - Venezuelanalysis.com
December 11, 2006
Caracas, December 11, 2006 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Leaders of South America’s twelve nations met late last week in Cochabamba, Bolivia for the 2nd South American Summit. On Saturday, at the close of the meeting, they signed the Cochabamba Declaration, which they called the “cornerstone of the South American process integration” and which calls for a new model of integration for the 21st century.
The two-day summit was attended by the Presidents from Guyana, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile, and Paraguay. The Nicaraguan and Ecuadorian President-elects Daniel Ortega and Rafael Correa, where also in attendance, including representatives from Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and México.
“These are instruments that will permit us to work for our South America,” said Morales, according to the Venezuelan daily El Universal, while opening the first and only work session of the Summit.
According to the Declaration, which was signed on Saturday, “The regional integration is an alternative to evade that globalization increases with its asymmetries, and contributes to economic, social, political marginality, and attempts to take advantage of the opportunities for development.”
“The Construction of the South American Community of Nations looks for the development of an integrated space in politics, social, cultural, economic, financial, environmental and infrastructural. This South American integration is not only needed to resolve the great scourges that affect the region, in the case of poverty, exclusion, and the persistent social inequalities, that have transformed the last few years in to a center of anxiety for all of the national governments, but it is also a decisive step towards the achievement of a multi-polar, stable, just world, based on a culture of peace,” continues the Declaration.
According to the declaration, this new integration is based on six principles: solidarity and cooperation; sovereignty and respect for territory and self-determination of the people; peace; democracy and pluralism, “in order to consolidate an integration without dictators”; “universal, interdependent and indivisible” human rights; and “harmony with nature” for sustainable development.
Concretely, the declaration additionally establishes a Commission of High Officials to work towards, and implement the steps of South American integration in the themes of energy, infrastructure, commercial, financial, industrial and productive, migratory, culture and defense. However, the Caracas daily Últimas Noticias reported that according to Brazilian President Lula da Silvia, this Commission is only temporary, and established until next year’s summit.
The declaration pushes for the strengthening of the institutionalism of the South American Community of Nations (CASA), while stopping short of the creation of a General Secretary.
According to Últimas Noticias, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was disappointed that the creation of the General Secretary was not included in the declaration, but Brazilian President Lula da Silva explained that there was “no consensus.”
According to varying reports, the Summit was filled with agreement and disagreement. Bolivian President Evo Morales once again invited Venezuela back to the Community of Andean Nations (CAN), which President Chavez pulled out of earlier this year.*
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