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| Host Hugo Chavez (centre) called the inaugural\ summit historic |
Leaders
from Latin America and the Caribbean have approved the creation of a new
regional bloc that excludes the United States and Canada.
But, unlike
the Washington-based Organisation of American States, the new group (known by
its Spanish initials as Celac) includes Cuba.
At the end
of the summit in Venezuela, the leaders pledged closer ties.
They
pledged to try to withstand the financial crisis affecting Europe and other
developed economies.
The host,
President Hugo Chavez, called the summit "historic".
Mr Chavez
read out several statements approved by the leaders, including one opposing the
US trade embargo on Cuba.
The
Venezuelan leader, along with some of his closest allies, said the new bloc
would help Latin America stand up to US influence.
But other
leaders chose to highlight the region's economic concerns and issues such as
drug trafficking and climate change.
Regional
trade
Brazilian
President Dilma Rousseff said that Latin American countries would need to rely
more on their neighbours to continue thriving.
The region
has so far achieved continued growth despite the problems affecting Europe and
the United States.
President
Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia said countries like his would have to increase
their trade with other countries in the region because "a hurricane was
hitting the developed economies".
President
Sebastian Pinera of Chile, who took over the rotating presidency of the bloc,
said he hoped Celac would help build regional cooperation despite the
differences between some of the 33 member states.
Other
leaders said they expected Celac to serve as a forum to resolve regional
conflicts and build stronger ties but not to replace other organisations like
the OAS.
The next
summit, in 2012, is scheduled to be held in Chile.
On Friday,
Mr Chavez said Celac would leave behind the Organisation of American States,
which he said was worn-out and dominated by the US.
The
inaugural summit was due six months ago but was postponed because Mr Chavez was
recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous growth.
The
Venezuelan president has said he is completely recovered after four rounds of
chemotherapy.
He is
expected to run in next October's presidential election for another six-year
term.
Hugo Chavez hosts summit of new regional group minus US
" .... Soon the one dictator will be gone, and the unification can begin.."
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