South America's lunge toward the left is overshadowing the goal of free trade as the continent's most prominent leaders meet in Rio for a two-day summit of the fractured Mercosur economic bloc.

While the Mercosur leaders from five nations plan to consider membership requests from Bolivia and Ecuador and discuss a development fund for the bloc's poorer countries during the summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is lobbying for a "socialism for the 21st century" that seeks to unite the region's economies but has little to do with free trade.

The Standard - China's Business Newspaper


How do you think this will effect the trade agreements now in place?

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TRUTH exist, only a falsehood has to be invented.

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They've alo agreed to set up a democracy watchdog to monitor each other's elections.

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... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

To play the devil's advocate, but can they be trusted to really police the democratic process? I mean we have Chavez and Morales, and we know the US trust not these two, especially. Just a thought.

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STUPIDITY Is The Deliberate Cultivation Of Ignorance

TRUTH exist, only a falsehood has to be invented.

Please Visit My Blog http://studiesandobservations.blogspot.com/

Morales is completely democratic, and Bolivia isn't a member of Mercosur anyway.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

I would suggest a look at " Blog from Bolivia" for some background discussion about what is going on down there. Check out some of the archives

and how can i find this "blog from bolivia" im new to the forum.
cheers