Venezuela leaves Andean trade bloc

CARACAS, Venezuela, April 20 (UPI) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has decided to remove his country from the Andean Community of Nations trade bloc, El Nacional reported Thursday.

Speaking at a summit in Paraguay, Chavez said the bloc was obsolete since both Colombia and Peru negotiated separate trade agreements with the United States.

In recent years, Venezuela became an observer member of the Mercosur trade bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and is on course to become a full-fledged member.

Chavez has stressed the importance of creating a viable Latin American economic as well as political trade bloc to strengthen regional ties and protect Latin American interests when dealing with the United States.

http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/8295

Or is he just realigning with like-minded countries?