(The Irish Examiner) - "Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez called poverty the greatest threat facing Latin America as he and the leaders of Spain, Colombia and Brazil, agreed to join forces in to stamp out widespread poverty, prevent terrorism and work for peace.

'Poverty is the biggest threat here,' said Chávez, flanked by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as the four leaders concluded a one-day summit at a retreat near the Venezuelan city of Puerto Ordaz.

The leaders issued a five-page declaration calling for action against the main causes of poverty such as debt relief for developing countries and the creation of an International Humanitarian Fund, which would be used to provide financial support to needy nations and help alleviate poverty.

In the declaration, Chávez, Zapatero, Uribe and Lula da Silva vowed to 'co-ordinate efforts between our governments and those of other nations, as well as international organisations, to contribute to overcoming hunger and poverty' (...)

Chávez has championed Latin American unity as part of a vision for a 'multipolar' world in which smaller nations unite to negotiate with the US and other world powers on more even terms".