MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Unasur has yet to reach a consensus-name for the next secretary general
Correa said the post must be given additional powers so it has greater ‘executive capacity’ Despite the strong statement against US intervention in Syria and the harmonious meeting of Paraguay and Venezuela presidents, the recent Unasur (Union of South American Nations) summit in Suriname was unable to agree on the group’s next Secretary General, a post which is currently held by Venezuela’s Ali Rodriguez.
Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa in an interview with a Venezuelan television station admitted “there’s no consensus yet” and requested an additional thirty days to come up with a name.
“Ecuador believes thirty more days should be enough to decide, Bolivia and Peru have both presented candidates, but there is no consensus yet”.
Correa added that the chair-post must be given ‘additional powers’ so that it has more ‘executive capacity’ and thus a full-time mechanism to lead the integration process.
“Many times the man makes the post, so then we have to look with all respect for Peru and Bolivia candidates which I personally don’t know, a personality that really fills the Secretary General job, with the necessary vigour and energy, a presence and speed we must admit has been partially lost”, argued Correa.
However the Ecuadorean leader underlined the “enormous capacity” and “great job” done by Rodriguez but remembered the fragile health condition of the former Venezuelan Oil minister, whom he described “a beloved friend, a great Latinamerica with very clear positive ideas”.
Rodriguez ended his time in the job during the last summit at the end of August in Paramaribo. He had succeeded Colombia’s former foreign minister Maria Emma Mejia.
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Read all commentsDoes it matter?
Sep 05th, 2013 - 01:20 pm 0Does anyone GAF?
I am however surprised that The Dark Country have not screamed a name out: Maximo, The Brave! Or in the real world, his mom wants him out of the way for when she loses the presidency.
ChrisR
Sep 05th, 2013 - 07:18 pm 0It is important. UNASUR is a proto-EU. These are its formative years and it really needs someone visionary at its helm to direct it so that it doesn't become another dead-end defunct Latin American dream.
It should have a technocrat that can learn the lessons of the EU and repeat these that were winners and modify those that were losers.
In movement of people, trade and infrastructure; the EU has been amazingly successful. Another area is common standards that enable interoperability. Copying these would cause South America to boom. Just imagine major highways and railways between each country instead of goat tracks. Successful Chilean or Colombian or Brazilian companies spreading into their neighbours and labour arbitrage enabling manufacturing in Paraguay and Bolivia for goods consumed in Peru and Ecuador or exported through ports in Brazil and Chile.
UNASUR could do great things in a continent linked with similar languages and cultures. The EU contents with 24 languages and three alphabets.
It needs someone with a continental vision and global outlook. Not someone that rants against the west and tries to turn inwards.
2 Anglotino
Sep 06th, 2013 - 08:14 am 0I agree with most of what you post hower: “It needs someone with a continental vision and global outlook. Not someone that rants against the west and tries to turn inwards.”
Do you know of antone because I do not!
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