Venezuela scraps summit due to Chavez health

Xinhua, June 30, 2011

The Venezuelan government on Wednesday announced it has suspended the third Latin American and Caribbean Summit (CALC) which had been scheduled for July 5-6 on the Venezuelan island of Margarita.

According to an official statement posted by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry at its web page, the suspension was due to the fact that the summit host, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, continued to be in recovery from surgery he had earlier this month in Cuba.

"Commander Hugo Chavez continues to be in the middle of a recovery process and is under strict medical treatment," the ministry said, adding that due to this and "after consulting with the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, the decision was taken to delay the third summit."

In name of the Venezuelan government, the ministry thanked "our brothers in Latin America and the Caribbean, who by confirming their participation have made this regional meeting a transcendental historical milestone."

The ministry said a new date will be scheduled as soon as possible for the summit, which is to become a landmark event for the region with the official creation of "the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which is an organization aimed to consolidate the union and independence of our peoples."

Political analysts say the new organization will seek to phase out, and in time replace the Organization of American States as the main forum of dialogue in the region and intend to include all sovereign countries in North and South America as members except the United States and Canada.

The ministry said a new date will be set through consultation mechanisms and it is expected to be held in Venezuela sometime during the second half of 2011.