Spanish PM thinks a Latin American "EU" would be swell

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Source URL: http://www.euractiv.com/en/foreign-affai...ews-494250

Zapatero proposes EU-style Latin American Union
Published: 18 May 2010

Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, in his position as head of the Spanish Presidency of the EU, said yesterday (17 May) that a Latin American Union, based on the EU model, would be "a great project".

Speaking at a press conference following the EU-Caribbean countries 'Cariforum summit' in Madrid, several EU leaders, including Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, highlighted the value of regional collaboration in Latin America and praised the example of the EU.

Zapatero said that it would be "great news" if Latin American countries were to strengthen their relationship, "because in this historic era of globalisation, regional integration is a stabilising factor".

"I would definitely support a Latin American Union, it would be a great project," concluded Zapatero, quoted by the Spanish Presidency website.

Commenting on the prospect that Latin American countries one day forming a type of union, Barroso said "we are ready". "Our hearts are with regional integration, because the EU is a success story".

Van Rompuy stated that the EU should not give "lessons" to Latin American countries, but can offer itself as an example.

The EU-Caribbean forum focused on extending bilateral relations to include global challenges such as climate change and natural disasters that affect the Caribbean region in particular, such as the Haiti earthquake in January.

Maxine McClean, secretary-general of Cariforum and minister of foreign affairs for Barbados, said that the earthquake in January in Haiti "is proof and an example of the tough reality of climate change". In her opinion, the whole economic development strategy for the region should take into account the significance of global warming for developing countries.

Cariforum is a group of 18 Caribbean countries created in 1992 to facilitate administrative aspects of monies assigned to the region by the European Development Fund (EDF), among other issues.

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Bolivia President Accuses Spain of Attempted Coup


Global Research, May 23, 2010
AFP - 2010-05-19

Bolivia's President Evo Morales on Wednesday accused Spain's centre-right of financing an attempted coup in the Latin American country in 2008, claims that have outraged the People's Party.



"According to a report quoted by different media, the PP through a foundation financed not only the coup d'etat but separatists in Bolivia," the socialist leader said on Spanish national radio.



"This is the subject of an inquiry, it is not in the hands of journalists or executive power ... but in the hands of the law," said Morales, who is in Madrid for the EU-Latin America and Caribbean summit involving 60 countries.



PP secretary general Maria Dolores de Cospedal dismissed the claims as "an example of the international allies (socialist President Jose Luis) Rodriguez Zapatero unfortunately has, and who come to Europe to insult the Spanish."



Spain's main opposition party, the centre-right PP is currently the favourite choice of voters in polls.



In December 2009 Morales was re-elected Bolivian president with 64 percent of the vote.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Presi​dent Evo Morales: "US Plotted Coup in Bolivia in 2008"


Global Research, May 23, 2010
Press TV - 2010-05-22

Bolivian President Evo Morales has accused the administration of former US President George W. Bush of trying to topple his government in 2008.

According to Morales, Spain's main center-right political party, People's Party (PP), was also informed about the 2008 coup plot and provided financial aids for the coup at the time.

"According to a report quoted by different media, the PP through a foundation financed not only the coup d'etat but separatists in Bolivia," Spanish national radio quoted him as saying on the sidelines of an EU-Latin American and Caribbean Summit in Spain.

However, PP secretary general Maria Dolores rejected the claims, saying they were "an example of the international allies the Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Rodrigo Zapatero has, and who come to Europe to insult the Spanish."



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