Time and the relatively few *major* developments on any of the topics I have discussed, leave me in a situation whereby a more abbreviated approach will be used for topics I post today. The most significant development from the Unasur meetings was a very unified and broad-based coalition that expressed grave concern over the U.S. military bases in Colombia. This was not limited to some "Chavez-Correa" alliance, as the Western press often likes to illustrate. This was very broad-based concern, which stopped just short of demanding Colombia rescind the contract, out of respect for national sovereignty. It did however lead to a statement, fairly significant, which has now moved the issue of regional security and defense to the top of the Unasur "priority list". It is sad that an alliance that should be focused on economic prosperity for the region has been side-tracked to prioritize regional defense. Perhaps, just what the U.S. wanted. Meaningful, because this is the most cohesive, unified and publicly expressed show of a regional defense focus by South America in my lifetime.
Attribution: http://www.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=301047&id_seccion=3
Attribution: http://www.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=301047&id_seccion=3
