Unasur summit will address Paraguay situation; Brazil and Argentina absent
The Union of South American Nations, Unasur leaders meet on Friday in Peru to consider advances to the integration process and a report on the political and electoral situation in Paraguay, which remains suspended from the group since last June.
The VI ordinary meeting of the Heads of State and Government council will be chaired by President Ollanta Humala and will include Bolivian president Evo Morales, Chile’s Sebastian Piñera, Colombia’s Juan Manuel Santos, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa, Guyana Donald Ramotar, Surinam Desiré Delano and Uruguay’s Jose Mujica.
Hugo Chavez from Venezuela will be absent since he is in Cuba for continued cancer treatment; Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff has a full agenda of domestic affairs and Cristina Fernandez at last moment reported she is not travelling on medical reasons, apparently suffering from low back pain, a variant of sciatica. Paraguay is suspended and will not be represented.
During the one day meeting the leaders will debate the Regional Peace, Security and Cooperation Protocol which pretends to strengthen mutual confidence in bilateral and multilateral relations, plus the report from the High Level Group on the Paraguayan situation.
Unasur and Mercosur last June suspended Paraguay from the group following what was described as a “democratic rupture”, when Fernando Lugo was impeached by the Senate and replaced by Federico Franco.
The head of the High Level Group Salomón Lerner visited Paraguay last week and although he was not received by officials from the Executive he did meet with lawmakers, political parties, the Electoral Tribunal of Justice and other organizations. The former Peruvian Prime minister said he expected Paraguay to invite Unasur observers to the April 2013 elections. However the Electoral tribunal did extend a personal invitation to Lerner.
The administration of President Franco believes Unasur has gone too far with the political exclusion of Paraguay which has been extended to economic, social and technical forums including the Mercosur Parliament. Franco described the attitude as a “persecution crusade” which pretends to coerce Paraguay’ sovereignty and restrict the country’s full sovereign rights.
The Lerner report was anticipated to Unasur Foreign ministers who also met to iron out details of the summit in Lima, and apparently includes recommendations to the leaders on what steps to follow. On leaving Asunción Lerner said he was returning to Peru with a ‘positive impression’ of Paraguay and that things were ‘on the right track’ leading to April’s elections.
Paraguay is hoping for at least a partial lifting of the suspension, but although Colombia, Chile and Peru have normal full relations with the President Franco administration, Brazil’s top advisor on foreign policy Marco Aurelio García said that “sanctions are sanctions” and must be fully complied.
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16 comments Feed
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I suppose with all the excitement of Christmas just around the corner, it would have been too much for her.
Oh, and the spectre of that pesky coup, as well.
If she's so ill one wonders why she just doesn't step down.
Obviously without her friends Hugo and Dilma, poor Cristina would be all by herself... and of course at the ILOST Ggana swept the floor with Argentina.
Pity we'll have to wait until Dec 15 for the result.
“Oh, and the spectre of that pesky coup, as well.” Yup, the real reason.
'Staying away' is a dangerous strategy for CFK, however;
Unasur could have gained a taste for exclusions now they see how easy it is
... Argentina might be voted out of South America!
Well we can but hope that wish comes true.
But looking at the photo, the two at this end are biting their fingernails and the woman on the top table in the white jacket is as far away from the man as she can get.
Have they got a pair of balls between them?
Kimosabe. The Lone Ranger , and... Tonto
Did not attend,
How surprising.??
.
#2 I'll tell you why she won't step down, because she's the best there is and Argentina is lucky to have such a great leader!
#4 They still will take on the vultures! And with Dilma's support =)
#5 Ma'am is not flaky, but if she wants to cancel a routine meeting like this as if it was a hair appointment, why not? Btw she can't be cancelling many hair and beauty appointments as she looks amazing =)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWCU7UEK2WI&list=FLmXPTu1f8AdGlizWNiASx2A&index=69&feature=plpp_video
jajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajaja
What a horny RG troll bk
Well you better help them out cos unless you have heard they are currently the capital P in PIGS.
@13
Oh you have got some serious problems mate!
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