Caracas: A new Latin American and Caribbean organisation backed Argentina's claim to sovereignty over the British-ruled Falkland Islands and slammed US sanctions on Cuba at Saturday's end of a two-day summit.
But the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or Celac, drew short of any more overt anti-Western rhetoric as some had feared at a meeting hosted by the avowedly "anti-imperialist" Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez.
Rather, its 22 final declarations ranged wordily but mildly over the need to combat global ills like price speculation, drugs, terrorism, nuclear arms and cruelty to migrants.
"I don't think we're exaggerating if we call it a historic day," said Chavez, 57, for whom the summit achieved two aims: setting up a regional body without the US, and allowing him to showcase his recovery from cancer treatment.
"United in our differences, we must demand respect," Chavez told the assembly. "No more interference, we've had enough."
