Unasur Summit: Fromer Argentine president appointed secretary-general

LOS CARDALES, Argentina, May 4, 2010 (Xinhua) --

Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner was appointed on Tuesday as the secretary-general of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) at the summit being hosted by Argentina.

During the inauguration ceremony, presided by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who also supports the designation, Kirchner swore "to practice his charge with loyalty, as he was appointed by the council of heads of the state and government, always observing the goals proposed and assuring the integration process of Latin America."

Kirchner was appointed by the consensus of the presidents and foreign ministers of member countries of the Unasur.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Kirchner's values and said he will be "a great secretary-general" of the Unasur.

Bolivian President Evo Morales said his country "never doubted" about Kirchner's appointment and added that "it was electing the first president of South America at this difficult moment."

Meanwhile, Jose Mujica, Uruguay's President said "it was hard for this president" to remove the obstacles that his predecessor Tabare Vazquez had set for Kirchner's designation.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said "the most important thing of this meeting was the designation, by consensus, of the friend, companion Nestor Kirchner as secretary-general of South America."

Chavez said that South America "destined to be a power ... with the Venezuelan people we support Kirchner's designation."

Fernando Lugo, Paraguayan president said that "Paraguayan people are happy for former Argentine president could be the secretary-general ... because it means to continue building the south of the continent in peace and equality."

After the appointment of Kirchner, the presidents expressed at the summit their rejections to the legal measures approved in Arizona, the U.S. against the immigrants.

About the so-called "Arizona Law", the presidents "reject the criminalization to the immigrants by allowing the detention of people due to racial, ethnic, phenotype, language and migratory status reasons."

The presidents said that the Arizona Law "makes legal the racist attitudes and the violence for the racial hate".

During the Unasur Summit, the heads of the state also agreed to be "solidary" with Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, who decided to decree "a state of exception" in the north of Paraguay to combat against the guerrilla of the Paraguayan People Army (EPP).

They "reaffirmed their strong support to the legitimate rights that Argentina has on the dispute with the United Kingdom for the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands."

The presidents also rejected "the non-renewable natural resources exploration activities in the Argentine continental platform, being illegally carried out "by the UK, which does not respect 'the resolution 31/49' of the United Nations General Assembly."

Editor: yan