by Alejandra del Palacio

    MEXICO CITY, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Union of the South American Nations (Unasur) Extraordinary Summit ended in Bariloche, Argentina, on Friday with a joint call for strengthening South America as "a zone of peace."

    The special summit came after Colombia reached an agreement with the United States earlier this month that would allow American troops to use military bases in Colombia's territory, raising tensions in the region, especially among neighboring countries.

Leaders of the members countries of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) pose for a group photo during the Unasur Extraordinary Summit in Bariloche, Argentina, on Aug. 28, 2009.(Xinhua/Carlos Alvear) Photo Gallery>>>

    Leaders from the 12 member countries agreed to respect each other's territorial integrity and promised "to establish a mechanism of mutual trust regarding defense and security" in the region.

    The Unasur stressed that "the presence of foreign military forces cannot, with its means and linked resources to goals, threaten the sovereignty and integrity of any South American nations and, in consequence, the peace and security of the region."

    It also reaffirmed its commitment "to strength the fight and cooperation against terrorism and transnational organized crime and its related crimes," including "the traffic of small and light guns."

    During the summit, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe defended the agreement, saying the deal was aimed at fighting drug trafficking and terrorism in his country.

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) Extraordinary Summit ends in Bariloche, Argentina, on Aug. 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Carlos Alvear) Photo Gallery>>>

    He also regretted that some countries did not share the demanding expressions for the major industrialized nations to aid the fight against drug trafficking.

    However, most of the countries at the summit remained cautious about the agreement.

    Venezuela is the most vehement opponent to the agreement, and President Hugo Chavez instructed his foreign ministry on Tuesday to get prepared to sever ties with Colombia.

    Chavez has said the bases were "a threat" to his country and Colombia was conducting "a war policy," adding the agreement "could generate a war in South America."

    Brazil has demanded guarantees from Bogota that activities of U.S. soldiers be restricted to the Colombian territory.

    Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said during the opening session of the summit that Latin American countries should seek peaceful ways to solve regional disputes.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez (R) takes pictures during a group photo session of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) Extraordinary Summit in Bariloche, Argentina, on Aug. 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Carlos Alvear) Photo Gallery>>>

    "If we agree this (foreign bases) is an issue of national sovereignty it must be like that for everybody under any circumstance, if not we must set controller trust mechanisms to assure the sovereignty of all and each one" of the south American countries, Fernandez said.

    Meanwhile, Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez said his country shares the need of keeping South America "as a land of peace." However, he added that Uruguay follows the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs.

    Bolivia was also opposed to the deal. "So now we are drug traffickers and terrorists. When they could not call us communists anymore, they called us subversives, and then drug traffickers, and since the Sept. 11 attacks, terrorists," President Evo Moralessaid.

    Morales was referring to accusations made by the Colombian president that some countries in the region supported guerillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- considered by Washington and Bogota as a terrorist group financed by drug trafficking -- with weapons and hid the rebels in their territories.

    Fernandez suggested that Uribe let the Unasur Defense Council to review the controversial agreement. However, Uribe replied that the agreement had been reached and he would not reconsider it.

    The one-day Unasur summit was held in Llao Llao Hotel in Bariloche, in Rio Negro province, 1,627 km southwest to Buenos Aires.

    Unasur, set up in 2008, groups Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguayand Venezuela. 

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