South American countries to jointly leave Unasur
Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo said today (Mar. 20) that the South American countries should jointly leave the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, all at once.
The presidents of seven countries in the continent have been confirmed to attend the Prosur summit meeting on the resumption of talks on regional integration Friday (Mar. 22), in Santiago, Chile. At the assembly, the foundation of Prosur, an initiative aimed at replacing Unasur, is expected to be officially announced.
Members of Prosur include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Confirmed to attend are the presidents of Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil, and Chile.
Unasur, Araújo argued, is an entity “already born with vices” and will be replaced with an agency dedicated to concrete initiatives. “There must be an organism that exists in a light, flexible, and practical manner, reflecting the fact that there’s a region that needs to be integrated,” he stated.
Summit
President Jair Bolsonaro is expected to attend the Prosur summit meeting. The proposed conceived by the Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has a streamlined format and is less burdensome to all. The presidents are likely to announce their approval of the list of Prosur members on Friday, after the assembly.
In Santiago, Chile’s Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero talked about his country’s partnership with Brazil. “It’s one of Chile’s best historic allies, with which we have extraordinary ties, and with which we get along really well historically.”
*With information from Carolina Gonçalves, reporter with Agência Brasil
