Latin America
Leaders from 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries agreed on Tuesday in Brazil that deeper integration is of the essence to face the global financial crisis, although their difficulties to attain agreements in specific areas were apparent.

There was no agreement on a common tariff, as the representatives of the Mercosur countries who met last Monday to discuss this subject matter failed to reach a pact. Therefore, the leaders of Latin America's largest trade bloc rather delivered a number of speeches focused primarily on the global financial crisis.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa was one of the most critical leaders. He warned against the lack of diligence shown by the regional integration bodies to face the crisis.

Meanwhile, the meeting of the countries comprising the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), decided to adopt the Brazilian initiative to create a South American Defense Council, which will operate as a consultation mechanism on defense matters.  

Unasur also agreed to postpone until April the election of its secretary-general due to differences between Uruguay and Argentina over the candidacy of former Argentinean President Néstor Kirchner.