Nicolas Maduro stresses the importance of UNASUR

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reiterated on Tuesday, 23 May, the value and relevance of "continental integration" on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the treaty establishing the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), as reported by teleSUR, a partner of TV BRICS.

"On a day like today, Commander Hugo Chavez advocated for the creation of UNASUR, taking as a basis the idea of the great homeland that our liberator Simón Bolívar expressed," said Maduro.

He stressed that the Bolivarian revolution promotes the idea of a continental union for a future peace and justice for all peoples of the region.

Earlier, during a television programme broadcast on 15 May, the Venezuelan leader also stressed that regional institutions like CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), Mercosur (common market of South America, an economic and political agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela) and ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas) should be strengthened.

Maduro stressed that "our way is CELAC, UNASUR and ALBA". These alliances stand for multilateralism, diversity and equality of partners.

On 23 May 2008 UNASUR was officially created in Brazil at the initiative of presidents Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) and Lula da Silva (Brazil). Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela became members.

"The aim of the association is to create a regional forum to address political, social, economic, environmental and infrastructural issues that will strengthen the identity of South America," recalled the Colombian Foreign Ministry.

This year, Lula da Silva renewed Brazil's membership of UNASUR.

Photo: IStock