Brazil Betting Southern Bank Will Start New Era of LatAm’s Integration

Representatives of various Latin American countries gave a panel on the "solidary integration" initiatives underway in the region. During the event, which is part of the American edition of the 6th World Social Forum, they also discussed the challenges facing Latin American countries in the future.

Marco Aurélio Garcia, Brazil’s special presidential adviser on international affairs, listed the integration initiatives currently underway in the area of infrastructure.

In his view, integration lacked concreteness for a long time, because there were no highways, bridges, ports, or even air routes to foster effective contact among the countries.

A new phase of integration will be inaugurated with the creation of a Southern Bank, among other initiatives in the area of financial coordination, he affirms.

As examples of solidary integration initiatives, Ricardo Alarcón, president of the Cuban National Assembly of People’s Power, pointed to his country’s partnerships with Venezuela to promote the erradication of illiteracy in Venezuela and to carry out the Miracle Missions, in which Cuban doctors perform free operations on visually impaired poor people.

According to Alarcón, 1.5 million Venezuelans were taught to read and write, and 150 thousand opthalmological operations were performed.

For admiral Cabrera Aguirre, of the Bolivarian Civic-Military Front of Venezuela, the countries of the region must encourage the population to unite around territorial defense through cooperation between civilian and military personnel.

He cited his own country, where the front to which he belongs is incorporating 1.6 thousand doctors into the reserve forces, as well as creating the so-called "territorial guards," in which civilians cooperate in the execution of defense tasks.

The secretary-general of the Latin American Parliament, Rafael Correa Flores, from Venezuela, spoke about initiatives that are being discussed in this body, such as a project for a Latin American Constitution and an Inter-American Social Charter, which, according to Flores, is being negotiated in the Organization of American States (OAS). He also called for discussions on a hemispheric regional security agenda.

The "Solidary Integration: Paths for Latin American Development" conference was organized by the Mauricio Grabois Institute, the Perseu Abramo Foundation from Brazil, and the Bolivarian Civic-Military Front of Venezuela.

Agência Brasil

Tags:

You May Also Like

While Waiting for Moody’s Upgrade Brazil Sells Bonds Overseas

Taking advantage of the lowest borrowing costs since October 2007, the Brazilian government, in ...

Loans in Brazilian Congress Were Just Way to Bypass the Law, Says Report

The joint preliminary report by the Post Office and Vote Buying Congressional Inquiry in ...

Brazil Teaches Lebanon to Use Waste to Build Houses and Roads

Brazil is going to help Lebanon recycle waste to be used in the construction ...

How Violence and Neglect Destroyed My Favorite Corner of Brazil

As a young adult in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, I had two favorite ...

After Three Decades of Delays and Protests Amazon Hydro Project Ready to Start

In Brazil, building will begin now on what should be the world’s third-largest hydroelectric ...

Brazil’s Opposition Presidential Candidate Alckmin Has No Charisma

Brazil’s leading opposition candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, said during his party’s national convention, Tuesday, June ...

Poor Brazilians Get a Chance to Be Operated on in Cuba

Two Cuban ophthalmologists who are part of the Miracle Mission, which treats visual deficiencies ...

Brazil Hopeful Europe Will Halt Brazilian Beef Ban

Paris-based OIE (Animal Health Organization) is expected to declare 10 states of Brazil, including ...

Case of American Pilots Involved in 154 Deaths in Brazil Back in Court

The Brazilian court is once again dealing with the freak 2006 aviation accident that ...

Bringing Water and Hope to Brazil’s Backlands

Brazil’s Million Cisterns Project has become an important component of Brazilian President Lula’s Zero ...