MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner: “Venezuela is a full democracy”

Mercosur should design a common strategy of security, sovereignty and defence, said Chavez.

Venezuela was formally accepted as a full member of Mercosur on Tuesday, during a special summit of the bloc in Caracas. The technical completion of its membership, however, is expected to take four years.

Kirchner, meanwhile, said in his speech to Venezuela's Congress that "strong winds of change" could be felt in the region.

Yesterday, Kirchner was the first foreign leader to make the keynote address on Venezuela¨'s Independence Day. "I want to tell the world that here in Venezuela there is a full democracy that fights for equality and against injustice," said the Argentine President, sparking a round of applause from the Chavez-controlled Venezuelan Parliament.

He also thanked Chavez for Venezuela's support for Argentina's sovereignty claim over the South Atlantic Malvinas/Falklands Islands it disputes with Britain.

"I don't want to forget to mention the permanent support from Venezuela to Argentina's claim over the Malvinas/Falkland islands," said Kirchner, spawning another round of applause and chants of "Malvinas Argentinas" from the members of Congress.

The President also criticized those observers who describe a handful of new leaders in Latin America as populist demagogues.

"There is no populism or demagoguery. There are governments that defend the national interests," said Kirchner.

Also attending the Venezuelan independence celebrations were the presidents of Paraguay, Nicanor Duarte Frutos, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, who along with Kirchner were in Caracas for Venezuela's formal entry into the Mercosur the previous evening. Buenos Aires Herald