The posthumous recognition to the recently deceased UNASUR general secretary, former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, was the best tribute for him at the International Convention Center of Guyana.
Though the name of the regional bloc’s new secretary will remain unknown until the next presidential meeting in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the summit was marked by transcendental news like the approval of the Democratic Protocol to discourage future coup attempts.
The document was consensual, and the only change made was the use of the word *”protocol”* instead of *”clause”*. It establishes political, diplomatic, and trade sanctions against regimes set up after a coup or against those who carry out an attempted coup.
The sanctions include trade cuts, the closing of land borders, the suspension of air operations, as well as discontinuation of services, such as energy supply, to the country that is being object of an attempted coup.
When assuming the temporary UNASUR chairmanship, Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo highlighted it is important that the integrating mechanism unconditionally applies the agreed democratic protocol.
