MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Union of S.A. Nations born amid controversies

The South American Union of Nations was officially born Friday in Brasilia as leaders of the region's 12 nations signed the constitutional charter, the latest of the region's integration mechanisms. Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, invited other Latin American and Caribbean nations to join the venture.

"Unasur is born, open to the entire region, born under the signs of diversity and pluralism," he said. However Unasur was born with serious controversies. Unasur's first secretary-general, Rodrigo Borja, resigned Thursday before the organization formally met. He complained that some leaders had balked at his vision of putting other regional trade blocs, including Mercosur and the Andean Community, under Unasur. Borja said these sub-regional trade groups are loosing their original vigor and enthusiasm. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Perú, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela make up Unasur. Leaders were also split over plans for a South American Defense Council that would help prevent and solve regional conflicts and among other purposes includes the exchange of military experience; participation in UN peace keeping missions; coordinating aid to disaster areas; joint military exercises and integration of the regional military defense industries for the possible manufacture of weapons. Colombia is the only nation that opposes joining such a council, saying "the terrorist threat" it faces at home, amid 40 years of civil conflict, precludes military cooperation. Even so, a government statement added, "Colombia does not oppose the creation of a working group to study the theme". "We're not concerned about the Defence Council in this meeting, since the issue is to be debated in the second half of the year", said Lula da Silva's main political advisor Marco Aurelio García, who admitted that tensions in the continent remain as the main challenge to the integration project of Unasur. Lula da Silva used his speech at the summit to urge wealthier nations to cut farm subsidies and import tariffs, and he defended bio-fuels, including ethanol, which critics blame for rising food prices. "We should not be fooled one bit by the arguments of those, who for protectionist or geopolitical motives feel uncomfortable with our industry, our agriculture and with the realization of our energy potential" Lula da Silva told the leaders. Unasur could ease future political tensions, promoting development on a continent where intra-regional trade topped 72 billion US dollars in 2006. South America's economy is expected grow by 4.7% this year, according to the U.N.'s Economic Commission on Latin America. It expanded 5.7% in 2007, when foreign direct investment reached a record 106 billion US dollars as global demand for the region's natural resources soared.