Alliance
During a day long summit on Margarita Island in Venezuela Tuesday, influential South American leaders agreed to form a strategic energy alliance.
“I believe the bases are being set for a South American agreement that includes the issues of oil, natural gas, alternative fuels, fuels based on agricultural product, the question of hydro-electric energy, and the issue if interconnection,” said Columbian President Alvaro Uribe.
Argentina, Venezuela, and Bolivia also outlined plans they had made to form an OPEC-style of natural gas export cartel. Not all of those present were happy with this idea. Brazil was particularly critical. Under the proposal, other countries are to be taken into the cartel in the future.
Also discussed was an oil pipeline between Columbia and Venezuela, with the possibility of an extension running to Panama.
It would seem that South America is tired of being known as either a bunch of tinpot dictatorships under the thumb of America, or else kingpins of the drug trade.
These leaders would prefer to put those days behind them and become legitimate players on the world stage, offering alternative sources of energy to potential buyers; to compete with more volatile regions of the globe for business.
How will the United States react to their southern neighbor’s increased bid for economic independence? These countries have been exploited by US policies for well over a century, and the corporations that benefit from these policies cannot be happy.
