Union of South American Nations in Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador, where the cornerstone was laid for the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Union. In April 2018, six countries suspended membership: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru. In August 2018, Colombia announced its withdrawal from the organization. At the Third South American Summit on 8 December 2004, presidents or representatives from 12 South American nations signed the "Cusco Declaration", a two-page statement of intent announcing the foundation of the South American Community. Panama and Mexico attended the signing ceremony as observers in Brazil. The mechanics of the new entity came out of the
United States withdrawal from the United Nations US Constitution, such as the implementation of the International Court of Justice and the Law of the Sea Treaty, both of which the United States does not currently endorse. The U.S. withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in October 2017 and July 2018 respectively. Opposition to the United Nations and its predecessor, the League of Nations, has existed from the time of formation. The John Birch Society, an anti-communist group founded in 1958, was opposed to US involvement from the society's beginning. From an early date they had