Brazil Wants South American Summit to Create Anti-Drug Council

US military in Colombia
Unasur, the Union of South American Nations, will debate the creation of four ministerial councils on narcotics-traffic, infrastructure, culture and education and social development during the summit hosted by Ecuador, which begins this Monday.

According to a release from the Brazilian presidency the four new councils will complement the existing ones on health and defense, which were created at the last summit in Costa de Sauipe, in northeaster Brazil, last December.

The Unasur summit takes off next Monday in Quito when Ecuador receives the pro-tempore presidency of the organization from Chile.

The creation of a Council to combat narcotics-traffic will enable the region to discuss how to counter the drugs trade "precisely when this issue and matters of regional defense have emerged in the regional debate," said Marcelo Baumbach, spokesperson for the Brazilian presidency.

"President Lula believes that the most appropriate forum for this discussion is Unasur, given its characteristics and the importance that the organization is gaining in solving the crisis in the region," added Baumbach.

The Unasur summit coincides with a serious controversy in the region following Colombia's announcement that it will allow the deployment of US forces in seven bases of its territory to help combat the drugs business.

Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia have been the most critical of the military understanding between Bogotá and Washington. Ecuador and Venezuela were excluded from the recent tour of South America by Colombian president Alvaro Uribe to explain details of the deal to his peers.

Ecuador broke diplomatic relations with Colombia in March last year following a military incursion against a camp belonging to the Colombian cocaine funded guerrilla movement FARC in Ecuadorian territory.

President Uribe and his Foreign Affairs minister Jaime Bermúdez have decided not to participate in the Quito summit next Monday.

The agreement with Washington includes the deployment of 800 US men and equipment in seven Colombian bases under Colombian Defense ministry control.

The move is partly consequence of the forced relocation of a similar agreement in the Ecuadorian Air Force base of Manta, but which President Rafael Correa, refused to extend.

The purpose of the Manta base was for US air surveillance and monitoring of the drug cartels in the region.

Under a long standing agreement between Colombia and the US, Washington can deploy up to 800 men in advisory tasks in Colombia; currently there are 200.

During this week's visit to seven South American presidents, Uribe received mixed support: from Peru, Paraguay and Chile's acceptance of Colombia's sovereign decisions, to Bolivia, critical of the decision; Argentina which downplayed the controversy; Uruguay that appealed to two basic principle: non interference in internal affairs and no foreign military bases in the region, and Brazil which proposed that the drug traffic issues be addressed by a special committee from the region.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazilian President’s Harsh Demeanor Draws Public Criticism from a Minister

Once again the administration of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s, only six-month old, is under ...

Algiers Fair Brings in Arabs Willing to Partner with Brazilians

Brazilian company Tangará, a maker of powdered milk, has already closed five sale contracts ...

Brazil’s Watchdog Agency Has Not Enough Hands to Investigate All Corruption Cases in High Places

The Brazilian minister who heads the government’s watchdog agency Controladoria-Geral da União, CGU – ...

EU and 187 Other Countries Debate in Brazil How to Prevent Biopiracy

The main challenge facing the 187 countries presently gathered in the southern Brazilian city ...

Brazil Expecting a 2005 Record Surplus of Over US$ 42 Billion

Brazil exported US$ 2.221 billion last week, 15.06% less than in the previous week, ...

NGOs Call Decisions of Brazil’s Biological Diversity Convention Illegitimate

Members of NGOs at the 8th Conference of the Parties to the Biological Diversity ...

Futile Shuffle

Why insist on playing with fire, which is precisely what this government and its ...

A Brazilian bishop takes a picture of the pope

Pope Pans in Brazil Media and Aggressive Proselytism of Evangelical Sects

World's most catholic country finally got its own saint. Pope Benedict XVI canonized, Friday, ...

Exports Up 32% in Brazil

Brazil’s cumulative trade surplus so far this year stands at US$ 22.501 billion. This ...

SOCCER IS CULTURE

Among the most devoted soccer fans are Brazilian artists. Some of Brazil’s best writers, ...