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Union of South American Nations

Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR

image by Zoltan Horvath, 20 November 2011

Overview
The Flag
Flag Variants
Previous Flag
South American Union (former organization)

See also:

Overview

The Union of South American Nations, set up on the model of the European Union, was made official on 23 May 2008, and its flag was unveiled during the inauguration ceremony. The treaty setting up UNASUR ("Tratado Constitutivo de la Unión de Naciones Suramericanas") was signed on 23 May 2008 in Brasilia by the heads of state or government of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela. The treaty was inspired by the Declarations of Cuzco (8 December 2004), Brasilia (30 September 2005) and Cochabamba (9 December 2006). UNASUR aims at the cultural, social, economical and political integration of the South American peoples.

The name of UNASUR in the official languages of the Union is:
- Spanish: Unión de Naciones Suramericanas;
- Portuguese: Uniăo de Naçőes Sul-Americanas;
- English: Union of South American Nations;
- Dutch: Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties.

A South American Parliament should be elected and based in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while the headquarters of the Union will be based in Quito, Ecuador.
http://www.comunidadandina.org/sudamerica.htm UNASUR website
http://www.comunidadandina.org/unasur/tratado_constitutivo.htm Text of the treaty
Manuel Lebrón, 8 June 2008

The Flag

The flag of UNASUR is a navy blue horizontal flag with the logo (in inverted colors) and no letters in, as seen here:
(Picture taken during Ecuador's pro tempore Presidency)
An image of the flag is seen here:
For additional information please see: UNASUR (official website).
Esteban Rivera, 07 June 2011

Flag Variants

image by Zoltan Horvath, 20 November 2011

Regarding the flag change of UNASUR. I have found two versions in use. One has a blue field with its new logo, but the name of organization is placed over the logo on the another one.
Image of simpler version flag at: http://innovacionmilitar.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Image of version with name at:
http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/internacional/20110616/secretaria-mejia-cree-que-unasur-se-esta-posicionando-como-un-nuevo-poder_130158_263087.html
Zoltan Horvath, 20 November 2011

image located by Esteban Rivera, 28 September 2019

This variant has the same color scheme as the two previously mentioned items, except that this time the flag has the organization's inscription on it, below the logo.
The original image can be seen here (seventh flag from left to right):
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/banderas-de-los-pa%C3%ADses-de-unasur-es-una-organizaci%C3%B3n-regional-intergubernamental-que-comprende-pa%C3%ADses-suramericanos-77765585.jpg, source: https://es.dreamstime.com/imagen-editorial-banderas-de-los-pa%C3%ADses-de-unasur-es-una-organizaci%C3%B3n-regional-intergubernamental-que-comprende-pa%C3%ADses-suramericanos-image77765585). This picture is taken outside the main office of the Secretariat of UNASUR, in Quito, Ecuador.
Esteban Rivera, 28 September 2019

Previous Flag

A photograph taken by Fernando Bizerra Jr (EFE) during the inauguration ceremony of UNASUR shows President Alan García (Peru) forwarding the flag of UNASUR to President Michelle Bachelet (Chile), who will act as the first President pro tempore of UNASUR. The flag is red with a yellow (filled) map of South America inscribed in a yellow ring.
Ivan Sache, 22 May 2008

This design is an unmistakable successor of the flag of APRA, the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana). On 06 Sep 2000 and 08 Sep 2000, Guillermo Tell Aveledo wrote:
"The APRA, founded in the 1920s in Peru, was conceived by his founder, Victor Raul Haya de La Torre, as to become a political party for the Americas, based in our realities and not in foreign ideologies. Ultimately, while the party was non-communist (and condemned as such by the Soviet Union), it had socialist ideas. Since Haya de La Torre couldn’t succeed in making the APRA an all-American party, the action of the core of the APRA focused on Peru (the APRA and the PAP are pretty much the same).

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_South_America.svg, the ring's diameter is much smaller than in Ivan's image, and slightly oblong vertically — definitely a poor depiction, considering the photo showing the official flag, but then again, still considering the said photo, Ivan's map and ring seem to be too large. I wonder how does the obverse of this flag looks like, it including so prominently an irreversible element.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 May 2008

While the UNASUR has not yet adopted an official flag, the closest thing is the proposal that the Peruvian president submitted on the last meeting of South American heads of state. All of the presidents in attendance rose and clapped, signaling their approval. Pending official approval, this is the closest thing to an official South American flag there is.
Manuel Lebrón, 8 June 2008

South American Union (former organization)

image by Blas Delgado Ortiz

This image was based on a image at www.unionsudamericana.net

Field of celestial blue color symbolizes the common sky of South America. The Southern Cross represents the course and the commitment for common destiny. The red stars each refer to one of the states of South America. The red color symbolizes the national passion of each one of these states, that must feed with their fire the Union - all aligning itself around this common objective.
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 4 July 2002

The pale blue flag shown above is presented as a floating graphic and labelled "our flag" on a page entitled "Foro para la Proyección Polítical" (Forum for the Political Project of the South American Union). Therefore, I assume that the defunct website was more a lobbying project than an official one and that the flag was a project, too, which might never have existed in real.
Ivan Sache, 25 May 2008

I believe that this flag for the South American Union (UNASUR) was merely one personal design out of many that have been individually designed.
Manuel Lebrón, 8 June 2008