Economy
Bolivian and Venezuelan businessmen began on Monday talks to build an alternative market for goods produced in the Andean nation, after the United States created some trade barriers to Bolivian imports.  

The meeting is part of Bolivian President Evo Morales' strategy to establish trade relations with other countries, beyond conditioning and unilateral decisions by the White House, reported Prensa Latina. 

Some 120 representatives of Bolivian entities will exchange points of view with visitors, among them state-run Suministros Venezolanos Industriales (Suvinca), which is a buyer of textiles, garments and manufacturing, reported state-owned news agency ABN.

In late September, US President George Bush suggested Bolivia to be stripped of benefits under the Andean Trade Program and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), an initiative to eliminate tariff barriers on Andean items exported to the US.

Caracas pledged to buy USD 30 million in Bolivian textiles and other products through Suvinca.