BARILOCHE, Argentina — South American presidents wrangled for hours Friday over a pending deal to expand the U.S. troop presence in Colombia, closing their meeting with a statement that foreign troops should not be allowed to threaten any of the region's nations.
The leaders also instructed their foreign and defense ministers to meet next month and come up with a cooperation agreement that would enable the Union of South American Nations group to inspect military bases in each member country to confirm that promises are being kept.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe appeared to go along with the base supervision idea, although the presidents began to leave while the summit declaration was still being drafted and there was no signing ceremony.
Throughout the day, Uribe defended his U.S. military alliance against tough criticism, saying the United States was alone in answering his nation's call for help against drug traffickers and terrorists.
"We are not playing some political game," Uribe declared after others accused him of destabilizing the continent by giving U.S. troops more maneuvering room on Colombian bases.
Uribe provided few details about the 10-year base deal, and his rivals spent much of the summit, broadcast live across the continent, painting the U.S. as a menace to peace and security, despite the good will generated by President Barack Obama's election.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the summit "a great step that opened the gates to understanding, unity and peace - because we don't want war." Speaking on Venezuelan state TV, he lauded the meeting's resolution as "a very important gesture."
Front Section, Pages 8 on 08/29/2009