MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian Senate postpones vote on Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation

In related news the Brazilian Senate postponed for a week a full house vote on the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur which is pending since March 2007 when the administration of President Lula da Silva sent the request.

Given the “low quorum” the heads of the different blocks decided to postpone the vote for next Wednesday November 11, according to Senator Romeo Juca, head of the ruling Workers Party block. The vote was scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Last Friday the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee approved 12 votes to 5 the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur in coincidence with President Lula da Silva’s official visit to Caracas to sign several trade and cooperation agreements.

“We are going to have the vote and approve the initiative” promised Juca while the opposition has promised a long debate on the issue.

Originally a majority of the Senate was against Venezuela’s membership because of President Hugo Chavez “poor and worsening” democratic performance.

To make things more complicated Chavez called the Brazilian senators “oligarchs”, “puppets of the (US) empire” and “shoe shiners of the most dangerous man in the world (former President George Bush)”.

However under strong lobbying from President Lula da Silva and Brazilian corporations which have billions worth of contracts, plus the fact that the Venezuelan opposition would rather have Chavez “inside than outside the fold” and away from out of the region alliances, a limited approval consensus has been garnered in the Brazilian Senate.

This does not mean that conservative and liberal Senators will continue to try and deny votes for the approval.

However time is short: the summer recess is close and 2010 is election year in Brazil when a successor to President Lula da Silva most successful eight years will have to be chosen, and a formidable battle it promises to be.

Argentina and Uruguay legislative branches have already approved Venezuela’s full membership. If Brazil finally votes favourably, then only a vote from the Paraguayan Congress will be missing.