Latin America cooperates against USA

The countries of Latin America decided to form a union similar to EU – without the US participation in it. It seems that the US leadership, not just in the world, but particularly in the west, is about to be over.

Photo: Latin America cooperates against USA

South America has formed a new political union – the Union of South American Nations, or UNASUR. Brazil was the host of a meeting, where the heads of 12 South American states -Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, signed a treaty that covers the territory of 10, 3 square miles with the population of 337 million people and gross domestic product of more than 1, 23 billion dollars.

Thus the process of the union foundation, which started in 2004, is now finally over. The countries of South America finally have an opportunity to solve their problems by themselves. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, calls this treaty ‘a historical step in the right direction’. He thinks that UNASUT will strengthen South American positions at the beginning of the 21st century and by the 40s of the century more than 60 percent of world economies about to be located in developing countries, including the countries of South America.

Some participants hope that UNASUR is going to be a regional version of the European Union. At the same time the head of Venezuela Hugo Chavez calls it a counterweight to the United States. It’s planned that the meetings of the country’s heads are to be annual, and ministers’ meetings are to be quarterly. The headquarter is to be in the capital of Ecuador Quito. Chile’s president Michelle Bachelet was chosen as the first president of the Union of South American Nations.

Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, says that the treaties a big deal for him. He also adds that he would’ve never thought that the heads of all countries could meet around one table. ‘South America will no longer be a mere geographical concept. Beginning today it is a political, economic and social reality, with its own means of functioning’.

On the UNASUR agenda there also was a question of the defense council creation. This offer, however, was strongly opposed by Columbia, the main US ally in this region. This disagreement is the barrier to the creation of Regional Military Coalition.

It seems that the process of its foundation is going to be tough, because each country has its own view on what safety in Latin America should be like. Before the Union was found safety problems were to be solved by Washington D.C. Now its role is declining, giving place to Brazil – the region’s political, economical and military center. This fact applies more pressure on Brazil’s relations with the neighbors.

Translated by Lena Ksandinova