Outgoing UNASUR leader calls for joint strategy against Trump

The outgoing Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Ernesto Samper on Tuesday called on the bloc to develop a joint strategy to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies.

"The Latin American countries, faced with the government of President Trump, cannot fall into a strategy of appeasement. We need a reaction strategy ... we need it now as tomorrow might be too late," said Samper during a meeting of UNASUR foreign ministers in Ecuador's capital.

The ministers from the 12 member countries had gathered for an extraordinary meeting. The member countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Samper, who is leaving the post he has held since September 2014, called for Latin American unity against Trump's immigration policies, which he called "xenophobic and racist."

This was just part of the agenda discussed by the foreign ministers, who also debated regional integration and the selection of Samper's successor.

Samper said that the region is very different today from when he took on the role.

"Two and a half years ago, the region was growing. It showed important successes in the reduction of poverty and in exports. Today, this is a region with economic problems ... and with a cloud on the horizon, the highly aggressive presence of a new administration in the United States," he said.

source: Xinhua