Brazil, Venezuela Pledge Deeper Energy Integration

The presidents of Venezuela and Brazil pledged Thursday to accelerate energy integration between the two countries in an effort to heighten the region’s autonomy.

Although energy integration in Latin America is not a new movement and some feel it can help limit regional energy crises, closer energy interdependence between Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile over the last decade has worsened the region’s current energy crisis.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, want to advance talks on building a joint gas pipeline from Venezuela to Argentina by June. Venezuela has Latin America’s largest gas reserves.

Analysts say the task of laying pipeline across the heart of Amazon region, over thousands of miles of Brazil’s interior and possibly other countries will face serious logistic and bureaucratic challenges.

Planet Ark