17th March, 2020
Eight South American countries have agreed to a regional alliance ”PROSUR” to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
President Lenin Moreno of Ecuador wrote on Twitter that Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Peru, Guyana, and Ecuador have agreed to ‘unify measures for the entry of people into each country’.
He added that the countries would “undertake campaigns to deal with disinformation, biased messages, and #FakeNews” and “establish joint purchasing protocols to avoid price speculation.”
PROSUR was formed in 2019 as an alternative to UNASUR, founded in 2008 on the initiative of Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Venezuelan head of state Hugo Chavez.
The 12-member alliance was created to promote regional integration as a bulwark against U.S. influence, but was plagued by political divisions and infighting over how to handle the economic and political crisis in Venezuela.