Venezuela/Colombia conflict “weakens” South America’s image, says Brazil

“We’re not looking for a scapegoat. We are concerned because this debilitates South America, which has as its great triumph and merit the fact it is a region of peace and we don’t want nothing contributing to tarnish such an image”, said Marco Aurelio García, President Lula da Silva’s main political advisor in a Sunday interview with the influential O Estado de Sao Paulo.

Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Colombia following on Bogotá’s claims that the administration of President Hugo Chavez is tolerant with FARC guerrillas camping in Venezuelan territory.

President Lula da Silva is scheduled to visit Caracas August 6 where he is to meet President Chavez and the following day will be present in Bogotá at the taking office ceremony of Colombian president-elect Juan Manuel Santos.

García also rejected any competition between Unasur and OAS, or any attempt to impose one over the other as a mechanism to solve the dispute.

“We don’t want to favour Venezuela or Colombia. We’re after an agreement and it would be excellent if we had distension signals before Santos takes office”, said Marco Aurelio García.

Similarly both multilateral organizations (Unasur and OAS) are very capable of addressing the issue, but “we think that Unasur, given that most presidents will be meeting in Bogotá” could be more expeditious in these circumstances.

However it is also a fact that South American nations led by Brazil would like the issue to be solved with the less interference possible from Washington, given the sensitivity of the dispute.
United States is not a member of Unasur and OAS is seated at Washington.