The left-wing leaders of Bolivia, Cuba and Venezuela have signed a three-way trade agreement aimed at countering US influence in Latin America.
The pact was signed in Cuba by Bolivian President Evo Morales, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, and their host Fidel Castro.
The initiative, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, was drawn up by Cuba and Venezuela.
Mr Morales, an ally of both Mr Castro and Mr Chavez, decided to join it after his election last December.
The initiative - known by its Spanish acronym Alba - is being promoted as a socialist alternative to the Washington-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas.
The deal aims to reduce or eliminate tariffs between the three countries. But apart from this, it is very unlike conventional trade agreements, the BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Havana says.
Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4959008.stm
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