MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mrs. Kirchner calls for peace and end to unilateral actions

Argentina and Venezuela strongly rejected the violation of Ecuadorian sovereignty by Colombian troops and made a strong call for peace in the region during the signing on Thursday of trade and political agreements in Caracas.

Visiting Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Argentina is committed to "eradicate from the region the diplomatic problems that emerged last week between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela", following the killing of a leader from the Colombian rebel FARC group. "We have our diversities stemming from history, but those diversities have given richness to American integration. We must articulate our efforts for peace and follow those objectives that for us represent politics, serving the people", added Mrs. Kirchner. Point number five of the joint declaration signed on Thursday by Mrs. Kirchner and Mr. Chavez referred to the "food and energy" exchange also states that they both trust "that actions undertaken by OAS (Organization of American States) will contribute to avoid situations such as the violation of Ecuador's sovereignty and will enable to strengthen peace among peoples of the region" However in her speech from Miraflores Palace (seat of the Venezuelan executive) Mrs. Kirchner subtly extended the concept of peace to other fields. "The last time I visited Venezuela during a meeting with Jewish institutions (not too pleased with Chavez) I said South America was a land of peace. We have diversities in each region, but only with peace there's unrestricted compliance of human rights". She added, "Peace is not only an objective by itself, it's what allows the full exercise of human rights" and went on to quote from the OAS charter that "the basic principle of international law is abidance to international organizations. We must never adopt unilateral measures". Before the ceremony at Miraflores Palace, Mrs. Kirchner held an hour meeting in the Argentine embassy with the mother of FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt, who was kidnapped six years ago. At the meeting was also Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, who together with President Chavez has been brokering the release of hostages held for years by FARC. Hostages recently liberated warned about the precarious health situation of Ms Betancourt. France is also interested in the fate of former Colombian presidential candidate Ms Betancourt since she has dual nationality. Meantime from Washington OAS announced that Argentina had been chosen together with Brazil, Bahamas, Panama and Peru to participate of a Commission to assess the situation created between Colombia and Ecuador according to the much debated resolution from the OAS Permanent Council that helped channel the Andean crisis. With OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza acting as president the commission must propose "formulas to bring together both nations" and draft a report, on facts and with recommendations, to be considered by the Foreign Affairs ministers consulting summit scheduled for next March 17. The Commission is scheduled to arrive in Ecuador next Saturday. Argentina's position has been to mediate and avoid the conflict from escalating "so that peace in the region is not altered and the humanitarian process (liberation of FARC hostages) continues", said Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana. Actually Brazilian diplomacy has recruited the region's two woman presidents, from Argentina and Chile's Michelle Bachelet to sponsor a solution to the conflict, while telling all members in the ear that if the situation escalates, the interference of Washington seems "inevitable". From Caracas President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner flies to Santo Domingo for the Rio Group summit that originally had scheduled the participation of the three presidents involved in the conflict, Colombia's Alvaro Uribe, Ecuador's Rafael Correa and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.