ARGENTINA: South American leaders elect Nestor Kirchner as new regional body head

Record ID: 448994

  • Title: ARGENTINA: South American leaders elect Nestor Kirchner as new regional body head
  • Date: 5th May 2010
  • Summary: CAMPANA, ARGENTINA (MAY 04, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUNRISE EXTERIOR OF SOFITEL HOTEL VARIOUS OF SECURITY AT HOTEL VARIOUS OF CHILEAN PRESIDENT SEBASTIAN PINERA, URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT JOSE MUJICA, ECUADOREAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL CORREA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, PARAGUAYAN PRESIDENT FERNANDO LUGO AND VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ ENTERING HOTEL TOGETHER MUJICA, LULA AND CHAVEZ ARGENTINE PRESIDENT CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER RECEIVING CORREA AND BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT EVO MORALES AND LUGO
  • Embargoed: 20th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA1NSKHQIUEIHAB0B0NZWOJIH8P
  • Story Text: Argentina's former president Nestor Kirchner was elected by South American leaders to head the region's political body on Tuesday (May 04).
    Kirchner, who is also the husband of Argentina's current president Cristina Fernandez, is the first secretary-general of Unasur, the Union of South American nations.
    The region's leaders met at an exclusive golf resort 60km away from Buenos Aires.
    Pledges of aid for Haiti and Chile, both hit by devastating earthquakes this year, were also on the agenda, as was an announcement on the restrictive immigration law in the U.S. state of Arizona.
    "The motion is to name the former president of the Republic of Argentina, Nestor Kirchner, as the first secretary-general of the Union of South American Nations," said Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, acting president of Unasur.
    Kirchner's candidacy was vetoed by former Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez in 2008 when Argentina and Uruguay were in conflict over a Uruguayan paper mill on a shared river.
    Now Vazquez has been replaced by the newly-elected Jose Mujica, Kirchner's candidacy was passed unanimously.
    Only Argentina abstained from the vote, seeing as Kirchner is President Fernandez' husband.
    "Without attaching any conditions [to our decision], and without anyone asking us for conditions, we join the consensus for the unity of Latin America. And we will continue with this policy trusting in good faith [in Kirchner], in the name of our small country, our small people," Mujica said.
    Unasur was formed in 2004 and formally ratified by its member countries in 2008.
    The body is an opportunity for South American leaders to debate and collaborate on regional issues.
    It has never had a secretary-general before, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the appointment of Kirchner will give Unasur a powerful institutional boost.
    "We throw our fervent support and applause [to the appointment of Kirchner]. From today onwards we will be at the full disposition of the acting president, to organise teams and give life [to Unasur]," Chavez said.
    Argentina is expected to ask Ecuador to pass the regional headquarters of Unasur on to Argentine soil.
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