10-16-07, 3:43 pm

Havana, Oct 15 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended Latin American integration as the way to face current US imperial policies in the continent.

'We are heading for a confederation of the Bolivarian, Marti and Caribbean republics,' asserted the statesman in his regular 'Alo Presidente' program, broadcast live Sunday from the central Cuban city of Santa Clara.

Chavez talked of statements by US President George W. Bush, who in a recent forum held in Miami said we have to stop governments from several countries which he labeled as populists.

'We will make this aggregate of countries from the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) and beyond into a power region of the world. Not one powerful country, rather a powerful region,' stressed the South American president.

Chavez stated that the integration of a bloc of nations will allow us to join a pluripolar world and that unity will make Latin America stronger in the field of knowledge, economy, politics, scientific development and the military power.

In the live TV-radio program, the Venezuelan president talked with his Cuban counterpart Fidel Castro for over one hour.

Chavez said this will be the first time that Cubans and the world listen directly the voice of the revolutionary leader since July 2006.

From Prensa Latina