Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gestures as he arrives for the 20th Group of Rio Summit plenary session at the foreign ministry in Santo Domingo March 7, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Before the opening of the summit which started one hour plus late, Fernandez met with Venezuelan Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to seek a consensus in the Santo Domingo declaration on the Andean conflict.

Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela have asked Rio Group to strongly condemn Colombia for its military incursion into Ecuadorian territory.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2008)