Lively Chavez hosts Latin American peers, snubs U.S.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Showing off new energy after his  recent cancer treatment, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez  hosted Latin American leaders at a meeting yesterday to create  a new regional body that pointedly excludes the United States.

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez and his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff (left) talk during an agreement-signing ceremony at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela on Thursday. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

The inauguration of the 33-member Community of Latin  American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which also deliberately  excludes Canada, was the Venezuelan socialist’s biggest moment  on the world stage since he underwent surgery in June.

The 57-year-old Chavez, who wants to win re-election next  October in the OPEC nation, warmly welcomed other leaders  including Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Argentina’s Cristina  Fernandez and Cuba’s Raul Castro.

“As the years go by, CELAC is going to leave behind the old  and worn-out OAS,” Chavez said, referring to the  hemisphere-wide Organization of American States that leftist  nations say is under Washington’s thumb.

The new group has lofty aims including the creation of a  regional reserves fund for economic crises and a body for human  rights monitoring. But critics say it unnecessarily adds yet  another acronym to the plethora of overlapping, “alphabet soup”  organizations that already exist around Latin America.

Exuding joy at the event, Chavez spoke at length and even  made light of his health problems.

“Whose bald head is the most elegant? Lula’s or mine?” he  joked of the chemotherapy treatment he and former Brazilian  leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have undergone.

Chavez also showed off the artistic skills he developed  during his recuperation.

Argentina’s Fernandez shed a tear when Chavez presented her  with a large painting he did depicting himself with her late  husband. “It is the best picture I’ve ever painted,” he said.

 “U.S. DISENGAGEMENT”

The countries of CELAC have nearly 600 million people and  comprise the world’s number one food exporter. They have a  combined GDP of about $6 trillion — roughly a third of the  combined output of the United States and Canada.

Cuba, suspended from the OAS in 1962, is a CELAC member.

Analysts say the new body shows the wish of Latin America  and the Caribbean to move out of the shadow of Washington.

“This has been aided by a progressive disengagement from  the region by the U.S. since the end of the Cold War, allowing  other countries — most notably China — to increase their  footprint in primarily economic, but also political, terms,”  said Robert Munks of global think tank IHS Janes.