The international group includes delegations from the Union of South American Nations and the Atlanta-based Carter Center.

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We also worked with the Organisation of American States and the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).

ECONOMIST: Letters

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) has called an emergency meeting for Thursday to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

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Foreign ministers belonging to the Union of South American Nations, known as UNASUR, traveled to Asuncion to meet with Lugo before the trial.

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Also Sunday, foreign ministers from member states of the Union of South American Nations will convene in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to discuss the asylum situation.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The Union of South American Nations, meanwhile, has convened an "extraordinary meeting" in Ecuador on Sunday to consider "the situation raised at the embassy".

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Correa has sought support on the issue from foreign ministers of the the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the leftist Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), who gathered in Guayaquil, Ecuador, this weekend.

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That same day, foreign ministers from member states of the Union of South American Nations will convene in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to discuss the situation in London, Peru's foreign ministry announced in a statement late Thursday.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The Organization of American States expressed its concern about the law last week, and presidents of South American countries meeting in Argentina for a gathering of the Union of South American Nations condemned the law Tuesday.

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The breakdown of relations was addressed at a meeting of the South American regional group Unasur (Union of South American Nations) on Thursday in Ecuador, but the foreign ministers gathered there were unable to resolve the crisis.

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Chile's President Michelle Bachelet called for the issue to be discussed at a meeting next week of the fledgling Union of South American Nations in Ecuador, whose president cut ties with Colombia after the raid on Reyes' camp.

ECONOMIST: Colombia and its neighbours

Chavez was a driving force in unifying Latin America, creating new regional organizations like the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

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The influence that Chavez and his allies are having in regional forums such as the Organization of American States General Assembly (OAS), the Summit of the Americas, CELAC, and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), has had the effect of increasing tolerance towards anti-American and anti-democratic ideas.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Importance of the War of Ideas

This led to Unasur, the Union of South American countries, and a proposed Community of Latin American and Caribbean nations (Celac).

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