EL UNIVERSAL

The presidents of the member and associated countries of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) underlined the potential of South America with respect to the global food and energy crisis and blasted the new European Union immigration policy, said AP.

The Presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Venezuela gathered on the occasion of the 35th summit of heads of state of Mercosur. They agreed that it was necessary to reinforce regional integration to present themselves as a block able to meet growing world demand.

"The situation of food and energy prices presents the region with and enormous opportunity if we can take advantage of it with solidarity and regional integration," said the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

On the other hand, Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said it is urgent to foster "a true discussion about food requirements in our countries and on the global food crisis." Lula da Silva referred to the impact of oil prices on the cost of food.

"Oil has an important impact on agriculture. In the case of Brazil, the incidence is 30 percent."

According to UN figures, food production should increase by 50 percent by 2030 to meet world demand.

During their speeches, Fernández, Lula da Silva and the President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, blamed subsidy policies applied by rich countries as the main cause of the increase in food prices.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, proposed the creation of an emergency fund to promote agriculture production in the region, offering to commit USD 1 for each barrel of oil Venezuela exports "as long as the price remains above USD 100 a barrel." "We are proposing to setting up a fund. For each barrel of oil that Venezuela exports, we propose donating USD 1 to a fund. That is 920 millions dollars a year," Chávez said.

"We are willing to take that measure right now... We could establish an emergency plan to produce food," he added.

Against the EU immigration law
Latin American leaders also condemned unanimously the immigration law passed recently by the European Union Parliament. This legislation provides for the detention of irregular immigrants up to 18 months prior to expulsion to their countries of origin.

"Emigrating is not tourism. Nobody emigrates for fun, they do it out of necessity," said Vásquez.

The Uruguayan president referred to his own experience, "A grandson of very poor European immigrants that became a President." "It hurts us deeply that there is no respect for human rights of Latin American immigrants, who had to leave and seek elsewhere what they do not have in their own lands, just like their grandparents did."

"We can demand the European Union a fair deal for Latin American immigrants," agreed Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

Leaders also announced the elimination of compulsory use of passport to travel across the Mercosur and its associated countries.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas