Last week, various leaders in South America announced the formation of a new seven-nation regional bloc called “Prosur” to resolve problems in the region. The overarching purpose of this new bloc is to reinforce democracy, freedom and human rights, with the ultimate goal of creating stronger freedom, integration and development in South America. In this progressive move, all countries in the continent are invited to join, regardless of any pre-existing ideologies. However, representatives from Venezuela, Bolivia and Uruguay were absent from the summit, and others have labelled the new bloc as a “right-wing rebranding” of the previous bloc. The Daily was joined by Dr Consuelo Martinez Reyes, Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies at Macquarie University, to discuss the significance of the establishment of this new bloc, and what it means for the future of South America.