Venezuela on Saturday took over the rotating presidency of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) from Uruguay at a summit of the regional bloc in Quito, Ecuador.

In Quito, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez also attended a ceremony where a minute's silence was observed to mourn the victims of a deadly earthquake that hit Ecuador on April 16. At least 646 people were killed and 12,499 injured, while 130 others were missing in the quake.

Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Guillaume Long thanked Unasur member countries for rapidly sending humanitarian aid.

Ecuador "has received a great quantity from around the world, but the greatest number of rescue teams and flights came from our brother countries in this bloc," he said.

Unasur, a 12-nation organization composed of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay, is aimed at promoting the integration of South American nations. Its headquarters is located in Quito.
Source: XINHUA