Leaders meeting at the Iberoamerican summit beginning yesterday had a chance to ease some of Latin America’s political tensions.
Though the formal agenda summit of 19 Latin American countries as well as Spain, Portugal and Andorra does not include talks of recent diplomatic quarrels, such discussions are expected “in the corridor and closed-door meetings,” Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado said.
During the three days of meetings, heads of government are also scheduled to study ways of harnessing new technology to help Latin American economies diversify away from oil, farming and mining.
Latin American nations are keen to reduce their economic reliance on natural resources and expand investment in science and technology. Spain and Portugal, mired in economic crises, but in some ways more technologically developed than Latin America, hope their close historical ties will generate new business with that continent.
“The world crisis offers a fresh opportunity to Latin America ... but it depends on their ability to innovate,” said Enrique Iglesias, secretary-general of the Iberoamerican secretariat.
Soured relations between Venezuela and neighboring Colombia, and between Honduras and Brazil, however, will likely overshadow the talks in Estoril, a Portuguese coastal resort 30km west of the capital Lisbon.
“Our relationships have always had controversial aspects,” Iglesias said. “We need to sit down together, talk openly ... and help calm things down.”
Venezuela and Colombia have been feuding over an agreement between Bogota and Washington that allows the US military to build up its presence at seven Colombian bases under a lease agreement.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned that Venezuela must prepare for a possible armed conflict because the US and Colombia could attack. He claims US “imperialists” want to undermine his “Bolivarian Revolution” — a political movement named after 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar.
Honduras’ interim government last month filed a case at the UN’s highest court accusing Brazil of meddling in its internal affairs because it permitted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in a coup last summer, to stay at its embassy in Tegucigalpa.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said they would attend the summit, but it was uncertain if Chavez would turn up.
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