Contributions from Carin Zissis
South American heads of state converged in Buenos Aires Sunday for the launch of Banco del Sur, a project hatched by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The bank's birth marked Argentine head of state Nestor Kirchner's last day in office before the inauguration of his wife, Cristina. During a September AS/COA event, she discussed Argentina's economic recovery.
After Venezuela's rejection of a new constitution, attention turns to other Latin American attempts at reform, particularly in Bolivia and Ecuador. Plagued by protests, Bolivia's constitutional reform remains in doubt. Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Álvarez Herrera and President Rafael Correa of Ecuador discussed constitutional reform at AS/COA events.
In a Sunday referendum, Venezuelans narrowly rejected sweeping constitutional changes. President Hugo Chavez, suffering his first electoral defeat since gaining office in 1998, accepted the loss "for now." AS/COA’s Latin America Conference featured a discussion panel on the referendum.