Paraguayan senators challenge Chavez version of attempted bribes to favour Venezuela
An international controversy has surfaced between President Hugo Chavez and Paraguayan senators as to who really tried to bribe whom regarding failed attempts to have Venezuela incorporated to Mercosur.
Venezuela first applied for Mercosur full membership in 2006, but only managed it this week after in special circumstances and with a process that international law experts describe as “highly questionable” when not null and void
On Friday a Paraguayan Senator quoted by the Spanish press said that the brother of President Chavez offered money to at least one lawmaker so that his country’s congress would vote the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur.
“The President of the Paraguayan congress Jorge Ovideo Matto claims that there were repeated offerings of money from emissaries responding to President Chavez brother begging for the approval of Venezuela’s inclusion in Mercosur”, according to Madrid’s conservative daily ABC.
“With me he (Chavez) never spoke, but yes he did send emissaries through a brother of his, I believe he has more than one brother, offering money. It was him (Chavez) that was offering money and was trying that way to change the vote of members from Congress” said Senator Ovideo Matto.
“The only thing I’m sure of is that Chavez sent money through members of Congress; that is a categorical fact, and not only to try and bribe lawmakers”, underlined the president of the Paraguayan Senate.
Venezuelan president Chavez earlier in the week revealed that “last year” he met with Senator Lino Oviedo (without specifying which of the two with the same last name) in Brazil where money was asked to accept the inclusion of Venezuela to the regional trade block, since only the Paraguayan Senate was pending approval for the incorporation.
Senator Oviedo Matto said the news is nothing new since the money offers by Chavez brother were made public by Senator Zulma Gomez before the Paraguayan Senate in October 2011. The lawmaker admitted having been approached by an emissary who was promising 100.000 dollars for those who voted for Venezuela.
Chavez talked about the issue on his return to Caracas from Brasilia where the three presidents of Mercosur; Cristina Fernandez, Argentina, Jose Mujica, Uruguay and Dilma Rousseff, Brazil, since Paraguay was suspended, formalized the inclusion of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur.
He said that on the suggestion from Brazil’s Lula da Silva, ‘some time ago’ he flew to Sao Paulo where he met with Senator Oviedo to talk about the issue. The talks included phone calls with President Fernando Lugo and former president Nicanor Duarte.
“Nothing was achieved since a bunch of extreme right Paraguayan Senators, instruments of the US empire, wanted millions of dollars for their vote, but I couldn’t permit extortion of Venezuela to prosper, and did not yield”, according to Chavez.
He added he told the Senators that “the time will come and the time came for the decent inclusion of Venezuela to Mercosur by the front door with no tricks”.
Paraguay was suspended from Mercosur following the removal from the presidential office of Fernando Lugo, following a summary impeachment described by the three full member presidents, as “a rupture of democratic institutions”.
Suggested Stories
-
May 23rd 2013
Cristina Fernandez administration limits overseas dollar extractions to a minimum
-
May 20th 2013
Brazil trapped by Argentina and Venezuela economic mismanagements
-
May 24th 2013
Argentina and Brazil jointly developing satellites for South Atlantic research
-
May 22nd 2013
Uruguay joins the women’s presidential club: Mujica flies to China and Astori to Colombia
18 comments Feed
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
He's a card this hugo.
keep spouting that shit its gonna do youre trade block (military block, politicall block) lots of good
He added he told the Senators that “the time will come and the time came for the decent inclusion of Venezuela to Mercosur by the front door with no tricks”.
lol!!!
”Nothing was achieved since a bunch of extreme right Paraguayan Senators, instruments of the US empire, wanted millions of dollars for their vote, but I couldn’t permit extortion of Venezuela to prosper, and did not yield”, according to Chavez.
He added he told the Senators that “the time will come and the time came for the decent inclusion of Venezuela to Mercosur by the front door with no tricks”
en.mercopress.com/2011/02/05/paraguayan-congress-puts-price-to-venezuela-s-mercosur-incorporation
That's hilarious!! I'm sure they have a good explanation for that one :)
cornish, we are from Tellus, planet earth, compañero BK and me, we come in peace :)
You even know what communism is, or are you just spitting words because they sound fancy?
It is a little sad some south american countries are backsliding into a outdated economic system :/
Lifelong presidency, well now we know where good old Hugo got the idea!.
12 Forgetit86. Do intelligent south americans not see that Mr Chavez is turning Venezuela into a totalitarian state?.
In Venezuela Bolivia Ecuador they are going communist of course they cannot use the word communism because is pejorative so they use the slogan “Bolivarian revolution the socialism of the 21st century” they confiscate private properties (around 330 companies in Venezuela along in 2011) just one in Bolivia yesterday, YPF in Argentina, remember Cuba? They did not confiscate any companies (yes communism is a fancy word it just sound fancy) it sound terrifying.
In Brazil Worker party is in power let me see that is not a communist name.
Mujica in his first speech after the inclusion of Venezuela to the Mercoleft I quote him “We need new rules so the workers will have something to said in Mercosur) you can see these leaders they are using all the key word, the first rule will be I suppose “if you disobey us will confiscate your company”
The state is becoming the sole provider of all the need’s for the masses they can think for themselves they control the media (Check Ecuador and check Argentina) In Ecuador they levy heavy fines if you disagree with Correa in Argentina they confiscated all the rights from private companies to broadcast soccer games (The opium of the people in Argentina) In Venezuela there is no independent media?
If you can see that in what planet are you leaving in?
The economic model is not sustainable take a look at Europe? You think you are lucky? Heavy taxes and massive taxes and social program for the masses that encouraged staying home. Yes we are lucky to emulate this model.
This model bankrupted Europe!
Come home Pirat-Hunter, how can you go on living in the degenerate British controlled Canada. Come home and give us the benefit of your exceptional scientific knowledge about nuclear defense systems and hydrogen bombs, and gays, and pirats, and stealth mines.
Come home Pirat-Hunter, you are wasted in Canada we need you in Argentina!!!!
#16 I am home I am a native american it is the white trash who has to go back home to europe, and they will have to go as soon as they start droping like flys in America, why don't you get on your feet and expelled britsh from from Argentina. The British embassy would be a good start.
#4 BK - You know nothing about Paraguay and its politics. When you do some corruption in Paraguay the one that pays always offers first. The Paraguayan government has nothing to loose by waiting. The Senate had the power and so they waited and waited for Hugo to pay, which he did to several of the parties. WE ALL KNOW he paid and we all know the Senate was taking advantage of it. Hugo is a dirty politician, just like most of the Paraguayan Senate.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!