Venezuela takes on the General Secretariat of Unasur

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) will be from Monday in the hands of Venezuelan former Minister Alí Rodríguez, to whom Colombian Foreign Minister María Emma Mejía will hand over the General Secretariat of the body, at a special meeting of foreign ministers from 12 countries, to be held in Bogotá.

The presidents of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, are to participate in the ceremony, which is expected to take place after noon, at the Colombian government headquarters of Casa de Nariño, EFE reported.

Rodriguez will be the third secretary general in the history of the Union, an integration forum created in May 2008 by the 12 countries of the region and legally established since March 2011. The first to hold the office was former Argentine President Néstor Kirchner, who served from May to October 2010, when he died.

Unasur has been instrumental in the relations between Colombia and Venezuela.