Carolina Pimentel and Mylena Fiori
Reporters - Agencia Brasil

Brasilia – The Presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and Argentina, Nestor Kirchner, discussed this Thursday (19), in Brasilia, the South American integration and infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a 10 thousand km gas pipeline between the three countries. Preliminary analyses indicate that the initiative may cost anywhere between US$17-25 million, and take six years to get ready.

During the meeting, Hugo Chávez proposed the creation of development zones along the pipeline, involving agriculture, industry, and popular housing construction. According to Chávez, one of the regions that may benefit from the project is that between Orinoco, in Venezuela, and Manaus, the capital of the northern Brazilian state of Amazonas.

Translation: Andréa Alves