The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Uruguay’s José Mujica on Friday defended South America’s integration as a peace zone and reiterated the two countries commitment to Mercosur and Unasur.
“Within the framework of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) we hope to deepen our mutual understanding in order to create a common vision of defense and security for the region, consolidating South America as a zone of peace and democracy,” Lula said in a brief address after the meeting on the Brazil-Uruguay border.
Without mentioning any particular crisis or referring to Thursday’s Unasur foreign ministers’ meeting in Quito to analyze the Colombian-Venezuelan crisis, Lula said that “Uruguay and Brazil want a South America that is integrated and without conflicts”.
The Brazilian president also spoke of the economic strength of Mercosur that will be celebrating 20 years in 2011: in spite of the world crisis “the four economies of Mercosur were the ones which most expanded”.
Lula and Mujica on their fourth summit in five months, unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion in the Uruguayan border city of Rivera, and later met in a Brazilian Army barrack at the neighboring Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento.
Both presidents gave as an example of integration the easy coexistence of Brazilians and Uruguayans (270.000 people) in those two cities stitched together by streets virtually without borders.
“Maybe in a hundred years or so, all of Latin America’s borders will be like those of Santana and Rivera. It’s probable that political borders as we know them will be diluted over time,” Mujica said.
Uruguay and Brazil share almost 1.100 kilometers of virtually open borders.
They also spoke of the unprecedented defense cooperation accord they signed Friday and their own personal friendship as examples of what they would like for all of South America.
“When our ministers have differences, may they please have a look at the friendship between President Mujica and President Lula and make peace, because that’s the only way we’re going to improve the life of our two peoples,” Lula said.
Mujica said for his part that he hopes all Latin America learns to be as inclined to negotiate as the Brazilian president.
“I don’t know how much longer I have to live, but it won’t be enough to be able to express my gratitude for all that you have contributed, without you even being aware of it, to the history of Latin America,” the 75-year-old Uruguayan said in a speech that brought tears to Lula’s eyes
Mujica added that he was sure Brazil had been sowed with many “Lulinhas” in the streets of the great cities of Brazil dreaming that “it is possible, brick by brick, to build a more fair society and a bit better than that that saw us born”.
Thank you for teaching us to convert conflicts in negotiations said Mujica pointing out that “we have learnt that if we can’t achieve 50, let’s see if we can get at least ten, so our people can live a bit better”.
“In order to be anybody at all in a globalizing international world, we have to join with Brazil, Argentina and the other countries of the region,” emphasized Mujica.
Besides a defense cooperation pact, the two presidents signed a memorandum on fisheries and fluvial transport and an accord on scientific, technological and academic cooperation. They also discussed the creation of a new interconnected electrical grid and the integration of railroad lines along the border.
Lula also promised Brazil would pay for most of the bill for the construction of a second international bridge across the river Yaguaron.
Both presidents called for the strengthening of trade and investment. Brazil has become Uruguay’s main partner with bilateral trade reaching 1.3 billion US dollars in the first half of the year, up 23% from 2009.
Finally, Lula also congratulated Uruguay for its fourth place in the recent World Cup played in South Africa and Diego Forlán who was considered the best player in South Africa. “Nevertheless we expect to win the Cup in 2014”, which is to be played in Brazil, said the Brazilian leader.
Colombian Criticism
On the other hand, outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe deplored statements from Lula dealing with Venezuela’s decision to severe relations with Bogotá, according to a brief release from Palacio Nariño, seat of the executive.
President Uribe deplored that his peer Lula referred to the current situation between Bogotá and Venezuela as “something personal” ignoring the threats that “the presence of FARC terrorists in Venezuelan territory represent for Colombian and the rest of the continent”.
“Is President Lula not aware of our efforts for a solution through dialogue? We reiterate with the utmost respect to President Lula and the Brazilian government that the only solution which Colombia accepts is banning the presence of FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) and ELN (National Liberation Army) terrorists from Venezuelan territory”, Uribe is quoted in a brief release.
The text refers to statements from Lula who said he was intent in meeting with President Chavez, with Uribe and with president-elect Juan Manuel Santos (who takes office next week) to achieve a conciliation following the breaking of relations between the two countries a week ago.
“I pretend to talk long time with Chavez, with Santos, because I think it is time for peace and not for war”, said the Brazilian president.
Lula is scheduled to meet Chavez next August 6 in Caracas and that same night will be flying to Bogotá ahead of Santos taking office ceremony the following day, August 7.
Colombia claimed before the OAS that Venezuela “tolerates” the presence of 1.500 Colombian guerrillas in tens of camps in its territory, accusation which Caracas rejects and triggered the decision to severe diplomatic relations last July 22.
An extraordinary meeting took place in Ecuador in the framework of Unasur to try and defuse the situation between the two countries. Relations had already been technically “frozen” for over a year on Chavez’s instructions to protest the extension of a military agreement between Colombia and the United States.
Venezuela has anticipated that it will be making a “peace proposal” to end sixty years of violence in Colombia, basically a “political dialogue” between the government and the guerrillas. Uribe rejects point blank such a proposal and is asking for a verification mechanism about the alleged presence of FARC and ELN guerrillas in Venezuelan territory.
