The presidents of the Union of South American States have held an emergency summit in the Argentinian city of Bariloche. They subject was a recent agreement between Colombia and the United States to station 800 US troops at seven Colombian bases.
The leaders of Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia strongly criticised the plan. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said it was part of a US strategy to dominate the region. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe countered that the presence of US troops would help in the war against drugs and left-wing rebels.
The remaining eight South American countries expressed apprehensions about the agreement. An attempt by Bolivia to get the other presidents to pass a declaration rejecting the deal was defeated.
The 12 countries, including Colombia, stated in the summit's final declaration that "the presence of foreign military forces must not menace the sovereignty and integrity of a south American country."
Map of South America
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