MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Obama envoy met with Mujica and today visits Paraguay

Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela on a familiarization tour of Mercosur members

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo A. Valenzuela visited Uruguay on Thursday where he met with president elect Jose Mujica and Vice-president Danilo Astori.

On Friday President Barack Obama envoy is expected in Paraguay for a “courtesy” visit and is scheduled to meet President Fernando Lugo and Foreign Affairs minister Hector Lacognata.

“It was a gallantry exchange and we talked mostly about philosophical issues”, said Valenzuela after meeting Mujica in Uruguay’s Parliament. Mujica was less loquacious and said it was up to the (current) government to inform about Valenzuela’s visit to Uruguay.

“For me It was an interesting conversation and meeting, but basically it was to know each other”, added Mujica.

Valenzuela arrived in Montevideo from a two day visit to Argentina where some of his remarks triggered strong reactions from the administration of President Cristina Kirchner.

Valenzuela’s first stop in his tour of Mercosur four full-member countries was Brazil which has publicly disagreed with President Obama on several controversial issues of the current Latinamerican agenda mainly, Honduras, Iran and nuclear power, Venezuela and international trade.