MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur rejects “joint” Army suggestion as too premature

Former Argentine vice-president Carlos “Chacho” Alvarez said Thursday that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez proposition of a joint Mercosur Army should be addressed when the “integration process is well advanced”.

Alvarez who is also president of Mercosur country member permanent representatives Council said that Chavez words must be taken as a "proposal" and a "suggestion", emphasizing that Mercosur presidents in their Wednesday summit in Caracas did not even consider the possibility of a regional Armed Forces fusion, as was advanced by the Venezuelan leader.

"Maybe South America sometime in the future might have a joint defense strategy, but that's an issue that pops up at the end, or when the integration process is well advanced and a member country might then suggest it", pointed out Mr. Alvarez.

He also pointed out that the European Union did not manage to implement a strategy of this kind even after an integration process of over half a century.

On Wednesday during the signing of the incorporation protocol of Venezuela to Mercosur President Chavez said addressing his colleagues from Argentina, Nestor Kirchner; Brazil, Lula da Silva; Paraguay, Nicanor Duarte; Tabare Vazquez, Uruguay and Evo Morales from Bolivia that "some day Mercosur will have a joint defense organization, its own strategy to protect country members' sovereignty".

President Chavez further on said that the regional bloc's Armed Forces should "merge", an issue which was not addressed by any of the other leaders.

On Wednesday, July 5, Venezuela celebrated its Independence Day with a massive military parade including new fighter bombers, helicopters and several special battalions armed with Kalashnikov AF130 assault rifles.

President Chavez in constant dispute with the Bush administration which has frozen the supply of arms and spares has been shopping for new arms with other suppliers.