Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez backed on Friday in Brazil the union of South American nations and warned that the "US imperialism" is the major foe of integration.

Chávez landed in Brasilia early in the morning to attend a meeting of 12 South American presidents. The summit is intended to sign a treaty that will lay the foundations of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur). The institution is to include a presidential forum, a general secretariat and a parliament.

"The enemy number one of the South union is the US empire. It is something basic: divide and rule," said Chávez.

"We will always denounce the imperialist attempts of the US government, trying to provoke wars in South America, trying to curb the strides of this (Unasur) project," he added.

Asked whether he would tell his South American counterparts about the recent incursion of a US aircraft into Venezuelan airspace, Chávez answered that he had aired it to the world already.

The Venezuelan leader jumped in defense of the establishment of Unasur and claimed that it could drive big changes worldwide.

"In South America there is a nest where a new project has nested and is brooding; a project of the change unleashed in this last decade; which could be the driving force of changes around the world," he commented, as quoted by AP.

"Some kick and yell, but will not be able to stop the South American revolution (…) Future of our peoples is based on the great victory of the union."

Chávez planned to have breakfast with the host of the event, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and also with Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia, who accompanied him from Caracas, and Rafael Correa of Ecuador.

Translated by Conchita Delgado