Latin American countries have agreed to hold a summit next month to discuss a deal giving US troops access to Colombian army bases. The agreement was reached at a meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in the Ecuadorian capital Quito.

In July Colombia signed a pact with the United States to allow US forces the use of seven military bases for anti-drug operations. The agreement has prompted criticism from several Latin American countries, especially from leftist leaders such as Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and Ecuador's President Rafael Correa. They are afraid of a renewed US military presence throughout Latin America.