Rousseff, Fernández open the doors to Celac Summit

Argentinean President Cristina Fernández and her Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff will be the first two heads of state arriving in Venezuela to attend the Summit of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (Celac). Thirty-two countries have been invited to the meeting that will take place on December 2-3 in Caracas.

Fernandez is scheduled to arrive in Caracas on Wednesday night, while Rousseff will be in Caracas on Thursday. Both are expected to hold a bilateral meeting on December 2, before the presidential summit, which will be preceded by a meeting of foreign ministers on December 1, EFE reported.

Foreign ministers will refine the agreement to be initialed by Latin American and Caribbean presidents in their meeting on December 2-3. The summit will bring to life a regional body comprising 33 countries that will receive the "heritage" of the Rio Group and the Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean (CALC).

Both the US and Canada are excluded from Celac.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez reported days ago that the Heads of State and Government and the Prime Ministers of the 32 countries composing Celac together with Venezuela have confirmed their attendance to the summit.

Fernández, who will be the first regional leader to arrive in Caracas, will meet on Thursday with Chávez. Both presidents are close friends.

"We always have issues of bilateral interest in our agenda, such as transfer technology and expertise in the industrial, food, and cultural areas," said Argentina's Ambassador to Venezuela Ana Alicia de Castro on October 26.

Fernández's visit to Caracas is her first trip abroad since her re-election with more than 53% of the vote on October 23.

Chávez describes Fernández as one of the "major champions" of the "South American Union."

Argentinean Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman said on November 22 that he has "great expectations" about the Celac Summit. "The mere fact of having achieved the unity of all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean is something that will be remembered in history," noted Timerman.
Timerman stressed that the inclusion of the Caribbean "is a key piece" in the recovery of a region "that had been divided" by the "dominant powers."

On June 6, when Rousseff welcomed Chávez in Brasilia shortly before her Venezuelan counterpart underwent surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous tumor, she declared that her country was ready to support any initiative to turn South America into a zone of peace and democracy.

"Brazil and Venezuela have a common goal to turn South America into a place of peace, democracy, development, and respect for human rights," said Rousseff.

In the framework of the Celac Summit, a meeting of representatives of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) will take place as well.

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.