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Too Many Topics on the Table at South American Summit Some observers saw President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's intention in hosting the summit as an attempt to make Brazil the spokesperson for South America and a counterpoint to US leadership in the region. Others argue that Brazil has realized that there's no sense in being an isolated power, seeking instead to create a new geopolitical space made up of countries with shared interests. Cardoso's opening comments supported both of these interpretations. "If we face common challenges, we should do it together," he said. "United, South America will have more strength to defend its common interests. We must effectively dismantle the commercial obstacles put in place by the hemisphere's richest partners." Plan Colombia An inevitable topic of discussion at the summit, and one which modified the official agenda (despite Brazil's resistance), was the crisis in Colombia. The topic came up even before the meeting, when several regional leaders expressed their fear that Colombia's internal conflict has the potential to spread across its borders. The international press that covered the summit agreed that Colombian President Andrés Pastrana scored a diplomatic goal by insisting that his country's unrest already affects the rest of the region. "I can't imagine any country saying that it has nothing to do with the problem," Pastrana said in a clear rebuke to statements by countries such as Brazil, which have claimed that the Plan Colombia-the US and internationally funded plan to resolve the crisis-"a Colombian problem." The controversy seems to have culminated in a document annexed to the final summit document, known as the Brasília Declaration. In it, the South American leaders express their "decisive support for the peace efforts launched by the government of Colombia, which reflect the legitimate wish of the Colombian people to build a peaceful future." Significantly, this statement omits any direct mention of the Plan Colombia and the involvement of the United States. Observers also saw the inclusion of the Colombian situation as a regional issue as a major concession. In addition to the issue of Colombia, the summit participants addressed several other key areas affecting the region. Regional integration. The leaders gathered in Brasília spent a significant amount of time discussing this area. Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori even proposed the creation of a "United States of South America," which he argued would enable what he called the "subcontinent of paradoxes" to resolve its problems more effectively. Nevertheless, the Brasília Declaration confined itself to ratifying South America's commitment to pursue the goal of Latin American and Caribbean integration, as well as the Andean Community's proposal to initiate a political dialogue with Mercosur and Chile. This last initiative would involve creating a free trade area between Mercosur and the Andean Community. This goal was endorsed by Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela, with a target date of 2002. Argentina argued that the process should be more gradual, without set deadlines. Infrastructure. The declaration devoted a separate section to integrating South America's regional infrastructure. Proposals submitted by the Inter-American Development Bank and international consultants included building a network of roads to link the continent; energy projects; and joint business opportunities. Countries have until December 31 to submit counterproposals. Democracy. President Cardoso argued that democracy "is the basis of all of South America's progress in the 1980s and 1990s" and at the heart of the integration process. The Brasília Declaration agreed on the need to consolidate democracy, along with ensuring and perfecting mechanisms for civil society participation. It also identified as a priority guarantees for regular, free, fair, transparent and pluralist elections. Drug trafficking and associated crimes. The leaders renewed their commitment to collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking. The main emphasis was on the principle of shared responsibility between producer and consumer countries, as well as those countries that serve as a bridge for the drug trade. Other resolutions. In other areas, the summit participants proposed a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. They urged the international financial community to seek solutions to the inequalities that characterize the world's markets and stated as a priority "speeding up society's access to the new information era." In summary, the Brasília Declaration lists 62 points of action that address the five main themes on the summit agenda. The good intentions of the participants was evident, but many different themes were raised at the meeting. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to concentrate on putting the region's house in order; that is, focusing on obtaining a commitment from the South American countries to cooperate more effectively to resolve the crisis of democracy and internal order in the Andean countries. With this commitment in hand, it would then be appropriate to move on to other efforts at integration.
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