Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Friday asked US President Barack Obama to place restrictions on the US military if Colombia approves the use of its military bases for the US.

In a telephone conversation, Lula expressed his concerns about Bogota's consideration of an agreement that would grant the US military increased access to bases within Colombia.

Lula told Obama that there were concerns in the region about the proposal. He said Brazil shared that "sensitivity" because of the proximity of Colombia's military bases to Brazil's Amazon region, according to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

Lula demanded binding guarantees that actions of the US military would be limited to Colombia and not be expanded into other Latin American countries.

The proposed agreement would see 800 US soldiers distributed around seven Colombian army bases. The number would not exceed the current presence of the US military, the Colombian government has insisted.

Both sides say the move is intended to support the fight against drug trafficking, which fuels the activities of leftist Colombian rebels who have been fighting Bogota for more than 40 years.

Lula also urged Obama to meet with leaders of UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) in the near future to discuss the issue of the US military using bases on Colombia.

According to Amorim, Obama reassured Lula he would consider the idea of a meeting.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has launched a campaign against the plan, charging it would represent "aggression" and meant that "war winds are starting to blow."

Venezuela has gotten support from Ecuador, which recently refused to renew a similar military agreement it had with the US.

Ecuador cut diplomatic ties with Colombia last year after a a cross-border Colombian Army raid targetted a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Ecuadorian soil.

Lula and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner have distanced themselves from Chavez's strident rhetoric on the issue. (dpa)