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Bolivia's President Evo Morales (L) and Peru's Alan Garcia shake hands while Chile's Michelle Bachelet applauds at the inaugration of the South American Community of Nations summit in Cochabamba (Photo: Mariana Bazo/Reuters

(LIP-wb) -- Under the presence of nine presidents headed by host Evo Morales of Bolivia the 2nd South American Summit of Nations opened Friday night in the city of Cochabamba.

Next to Morales , the meeting is attended by the presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Michelle Bachelet (Chile), Bharrat Jagdeo (Guyana), Alan Garcia (Peru), Tabaré Vásquez (Uruguay), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua).

Colombia is represented by minister Maria Consolation Araujo and Argentina by vice president Daniel Scioli. Representatives from Surinam and Paraguay are also present.

The South American Community of Nations, created on December 8, 2004 by country leaders in the Peruvian city of Cusco.

The summit was inaugurated in the middle of a complicated political climate in Bolivia market by hunger strikes and other pressure medias summoned by Morales's opposition.

Before his arrival in Bolivia, re-elected president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, said at a meeting with Lula da Silva in Brasilia that he would respond with the "spirit of reconciliation” if Peruvian chief of State Alan Garcia would show the same attitude.

“Between Chiefs of State, everything is possible”,Chávez said on Thursday. “We don't have anything against Peru. We admire the Peruvian people", he added.

However, Chavez also affirmed that he had read the statements made by Peruvian foreign minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde, who said Peru would not congratulate Chavez for his re-election. Later on, Garcia did send his greetings to Venezuela (>> read story >>).

Chávez added that if Garcia, “who is a legitimate president, without a doubt”, took on that attitude, he would respond “with the spirit of reconciliation, because personal problems and different political opinions aside, there is a fundamental project ahead of us: the unification of South America”.