Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño reported today that he received a “very positive responses” from the governments of Chile and Uruguay following Ecuador’s request to speed up ratification of the treaty that will legally form the Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR). Patiño is currently on a three-day tour of the Southern Cone, which will conclude today after meetings with Argentine and Peruvian officials.
Ecuador holds the temporary chairmanship of UNASUR and will soon begin construction of the organization’s headquarters in the community of Mitad del Mundo located near Quito. The Ecuadorian government has been pushing for the necessary number of treaty ratifications for UNASUR to come into full legal effect. So far, only Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Guyana—4 of the 12 countries meant to comprise UNASUR—have ratified the treaty.
Other topics discussed during the tour include the designation of the organization’s new general secretary on May 4, the creation of Banco del Sur, and ongoing dialogue between the U.S. and Latin American countries over the region’s commitments to Haiti.
Read a previous Daily Focus on UNASUR and Haiti.
