Chavez Proposes Three Joint South American Actions

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Brasilia, Sep 30 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez proposed Friday that his South American colleagues adopt joint plans for free medical treatment, literacy and a South American Development Bank.

In his speech before the 1st South American Community of Nations, Chavez said October 28 would be a day for Venezuela to be declared a country free of illiterate people, thanks to Cuban collaboration.

"A 200-year problem was eradicated in a year and a half," he announced, suggesting that before building highways and gas pipelines, presidents should solve the problem of illiteracy.

He also proposed a Latin American plan for medical treatment, also with the cooperation of Cuba, and said that Venezuela and Cuba may help South America develop free medical services, although he has not spoken with Cuban President Fidel Castro on the topic.

"I am sure Cuba may help us on that," he said.

He mentioned the association between Cuba and Venezuela in the area of public health, with a plan to graduate 200,000 Latin American doctors between 2005 and 2015, and the creation of a South American Development Bank, with a technical commission to coordinate with national central banks in every country.

He said that no one could say it is impossible, because it is a political decision to use part of the money reserves of each country in the project, and remarked that it was stupid that most of the South American money reserves are saved in North American banks.