Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on South American countries?in La Paz?on Thursday to unite against the "imperialism" of the United States which he said threatens world peace.

Chavez said that it was important that countries in South America, a continent that suffered over five decades of brutal and bloody civil wars, consolidate themselves as a region of peace before the threat of their northern neighbor.

"The empire is going crazy and it's a real threat to world peace as the imperialism has entered its phase of extreme craziness," Chavez said in reference to Western military intervention in conflict-torn Libya

"We don't want any more imperialism," he told reporters when meeting with Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Chavez currently is on an official visit to Bolivia, which is part of his Latin American tour to strengthen Venezuela's relations with countries in the region.

Chavez already toured Argentina and Uruguay earlier this week and he will visit Colombia later.

"This is an occasion to prove the willpower for the unity of South America which is growing stronger every day," he said.

Morales and Chavez are scheduled to attend activities in the southern Bolivian coca-growing region of Cochobamba, and sign a number of cooperation agreements on security, energy, mining, trade, agriculture and technology.