Countries represented:

Argentina Bolivia Brazil Colombia Chile Ecuador Guyana< Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela

At the summit in Ecuador, ten presidents, one vice-president and one foreign minister are also considering how to improve regional integration with the aim to build a trade block.

At their previous summit in Brasilia two years ago, the leaders agreed that a decent regional infrastructure must be erected, including highways, power plants, telecommunications and ports.

The national leaders' eventual aim would be to ensure free trade across the Americas. A more likely near term aim is that to strengthen their negotiating powers in trade talks with the US.

Defiant

Moves to unite the region's two main trading blocs, Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations, will be among the leaders' challenges.

But few observers expect them to succeed.

"The world does not believe that we are capable of uniting," said the summit host Equador's foreign minister, Heinz Moeller.

Mr Moeller said the South American nations would welcome help from the developed world to achieve their goals, but urged caution.

Mr Moeller was critical of past "lessons on morals and behaviour" from the US, describing them as "almost ironical" when seen in light of the recent slew of business scandals in the US.

He also slated the International Monetary Fund for imposing "unacceptable conditions on countries in economic and social turmoil like those of Latin America".

Crisis

Argentina and Brazil, the two largest economies in the region, are both in the midst of lengthy economic crisis.

Both countries are burdened by troubled banking systems and huge national debts. Widespread poverty has led to great social unrest. explosive.

The troubles in Argentina and Brazil weighs heavily on other countries in the region, adding to their own economic difficulties.