Lula: United South America to shake global balance of power

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday in Brasilia that a United South America can shift the global balance of power. 'South America, united, will move the board game of power in the world, not for its own benefit, but for everyone's,' Lula said. As he opened the summit to launch the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), the region's latest integration initiative, Lula stressed that the region can contribute to overcoming the current world food crisis, as long as it is autonomous. 'When food scarcity threatens social peace in many parts of the world, it is to our region that many turn looking for answers. We are conscious of our global responsibilities, but we will not decline to exercise them in a sovereign way,' the summit host told his peers.