LatAm leaders to meet over Bolivia crisis

South American leaders are expected to converge today in Chile in order to find a peaceful solution of the region’s latest diplomatic crisis. "We can't remain impassive in the face of a situation that worries us all," said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet who organized the emergency meeting of the 12-member Union of South American Nations (USAN) set to take place today in Santiago.

Regional leaders throughout the region have expressed their solidarity with Bolivia; in anticipation of the meeting, the USAN emitted a statement backing the Morales administration:

Leaders of countries across South America have reached an agreement to support Bolivian President Evo Morales and his government against the opposition insurrection, said the statement.

They urged opposition forces in the country to show respect for its Constitution and iron out their differences with the government through dialogue.

Morales and several opposition governors have entered negotiations in order to bring calm to a very volatile nation. Clashes around the country between pro-an anti-government supporters have officially left at least thirty people dead.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez yesterday repeated allegations that the U.S. government is backing a plot to overthrow him from power. (Chavez had pulled Venezuela’s ambassador to Washington last week partly in solidarity with Morales).

Image- Al Jazeera English
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Xinhua, AFP, AP, Voice of America