Agência Brasil*
São Paulo – The South American Community of Nations (Casa), to be consolidated during the Summit of Arab and South American Countries is not the first attempt at economic, social and infrastructure integration and political dialogue among the countries on the continent. It is in reality similar to another that took place ten years ago, according to the scientific coordinator of the Nucleus for Research and Foreign Relations (Nupri), at the University of São Paulo (USP), professor José Augusto Guilhon Albuquerque.
"I believe that it is too early to announce the consolidation of a community that, for the time being, is only on paper. This view of South America is old. More recently it began during the mandate of (president) Itamar (Franco – 1992-1994) when the creation of the Alcsa (South American Free Trade Zone) was proposed, a free trade zone that would, to a certain extent, help solve the engagements we had with the Mercosur, the customs union between Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, especially Argentina, creating something wider," he explained.
The Casa was announced officially during the 3rd Summit between South American Presidents, which took pace in Cuzco (Peru), at the end of last year. According to professor Guilhon, the idea of the community was retaken after discussions about the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), with Brazil taking the leadership of negotiations as the country had proposed the organization of a summit with the South American presidents. Normally, recalled the professor, "these summits are initiatives by great powers, especially the United States (US)."
"There was great expectation at that period, and most of the countries believed that Brazil would become the leader in negotiations with the United States, for the FTAA, and that a program was being prepared, in many ways and from many origins, to reach physical integration – means of transport, highways etc. – but this also never got out of the paper," he highlighted.
"A community of this sort is a lot more than a final document of a presidential summit, it would imply in the existence of programmes, incentives, some form of permanent decision or negotiation mechanism, well defined aims, and for the meantime this is extremely vague," he added.
A meeting for Foreign Ministers of the countries members of Casa took place on the 19th of April last year, when organization proposals and direction were discussed, which should have a next step in negotiations this August, with the meeting for heads of state of the Community, in Rio de Janeiro.
*Translated by Mark Ament
