All Systems Dough for Chávez' Bank of the South

7 nations back IMF rival to launch in Caracas

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 9, 2007 4:46 AM CDT

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All Systems Dough for Chávez' Bank of the South — Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, second from left, and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, accompanied by Rafael Ramirez, left, President of Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA, Nicholas Maduro, third from left, Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, Brazilian Foreign Minister,... (Associated Press)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez' dream of a regional development bank like the International Monetary Fund was officially launched yesterday as finance ministers from seven South American nations agreed to establish Banco del Sur. The new Bank of the South will be dedicated to strengthening trade ties and expanding growth across the continent. Its home? Caracas, naturally.

South American leaders are under pressure from businesses to maintain good relations with Venezuela, the unpredictable regional powerhouse. Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay all back the plan. Finance ministers signed a declaration supporting the bank yesterday and the institution will be inaugurated in November. (More Venezuela stories.)

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