Quito - In an urgent alert at the close of his term as UNASUR Secretary General Ernesto Samper warned of the threats to South America of the complicated agenda outlined by the new US government under the president, Donald Trump.

In his report on the closure of work, given yesterday in the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), in this capital, the Colombian ex-president said that it would be impossible to maintain understanding with the new northern administration.

In his view, reaching consensus will be difficult when the US president and his spokesmen threaten with massive exodus of Latin Americans to their places of origin and legalize the construction of a wall that divides Latin America from the USA, because a problem with Mexico Is a problem with Latin America '.

Samper described these measures as xenophobic, racist, and emphasized, 'The first announcements and executive orders of the new US administration force us to think without hysteria that we are facing a complicated strategic threat to South America.'

He also said that the importance of Washington cannot be ignored because the first steps show how the internal issues of the American nation will be in charge of defining the priorities of its hemispheric relationship in the coming years.

'This gloomy perspective should serve to reinforce the integration schemes, especially this UNASUR scheme, which was born, grew and is fed as a political scenario,' he emphasized.

In this regard, he called on the leaders of the area to analyze a timely and sovereign strategy of reaction, instead of waiting for the return to good sense, because 'tomorrow may be late'.

'The worst thing we could do at the moment, when the external storms are coming, is to enforce among ourselves the law of salvation,' he affirmed and insisted on the need for integration, in the face of the new panorama.

Samper concluded his term as Secretary General of UNASUR, which began in August 2014 and decided to extend, to this day, once the two years established are over, to help ensure the search for his successor, yet to be defined.

Those present recognized his work in the regional bloc, including chancellors of Bolivia (Fernando Huanacuni), Venezuela (Delcy Rodriguez), Argentina (Susana Malcorra), Colombia (María Ángela Holguín) and Ecuador (Guillaume Long).

Latin American ambassadors accredited to Quito also attended the management report, as well as officials from the Ecuadorian government.