Twelve South American countries signed a declaration Wednesday creating a political and economic bloc they hope will put them on a more equal footing with the United States and Europe. The pact was signed at a two-day summit beginning Wednesday in the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco. But the absence of three presidents -- Ecuador's Lucio Gutierrez, Uruguay's Jorge Batlle and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner -- raised questions about the strength of their commitment to forming a powerful regional alliance. After an all-day meeting, the 12 nations signed a declaration of principles creating the South American Community of Nations. The document expressed the hope that the new regional bloc "will achieve a greater weight and presence in international forums" for South America. The organization's first meeting will be in Brazil next year. Proponents of the new organization were optimistic. "In the last 30 years we have sought a Latin America with the capacity for effective international action and we have not achieved it because the countries of South America have been scattered, not unified," Peruvian Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez said. "With this new community, Latin America will be fortified." [more]
- Pictured above: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez waves reporters during his arrival at the Monasterio Hotel in Cuzco, Peru on Wednesday, Dec .8, 2004. Chavez is in Cuzco to attend the summit of South American Presidents.