MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Uruguay will continue with Mercosur but is also interested in the Pacific alliance
Uruguay will continue “to look after” Mercosur in spite of the strong diplomatic discrepancies with Argentina, but will also continue with an interest in participating in other trade blocks of the region, said President Jose Mujica. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesSplit in Mercosur?
Aug 11th, 2012 - 12:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 01st Paraguay looking towards the Pacific Alliance, now Uruguay.
Maybe Uruguay are getting fed up of all of Argentina's provocations, and the inclusion of Venezula being illegal by Mercosur's own rules.
Perhaps Mujica has finally grown a pair.
These two countries should abandon Mercosur. The only country that makes any money out of it is Brazil. To remain in Mercosur will only lead to making them weaker.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 12:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's about time he woke up to other chances to expand trade.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 12:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'm not sure I understand this. Pacific Alliance - Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico I can understand. But what connection has Uruguay got with the Pacific? Name change required? But weren't people on here suggesting that Paraguay would have difficulty joining the P.A. because Bolivia is “in the way”? So what's Uruguay's route to the other P.A. countries?
Aug 11th, 2012 - 02:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Jose should indeed send out the signals that he is looking to other associations.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 02:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The new Alliance of the Pacific - Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico, four countries with a friendlier attitude towards business and foreign investment - offers much more to Uruguay, a country with the same attitude.
Dilma should do well to reflect on the importance of a business-friendly environment when it comes to a trading bloc trading with the world. Argentina and Venezuela are leading her by the nose in the opposite direction.
Mujica is a smart operator. He's not stupid enough to burn his bridges with Brazil in particular but neither is he so short sighted to ignore opportunities with Chile, Columbia, Peru and Mexico.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 02:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0In short Uruguay appears to have an excellent well balanced leader who's only motivation seems to be the advancement of his nation and its people. Wish there were a few more like him around the World.
Of course Mujica looks to the PA, plan is to include all of SA, no matter the name :)
Aug 11th, 2012 - 04:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Mujica is only playing politics by sliding the idea that Uruguay could seek out other alliances, he is smart and he doesn´t want Brazil and Argentina to take Uruguay for granted and impose their policies on them just because it is a smaller economy. It´s just a game.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 04:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@6,8 Don't be ridiculous. Pepe doesn't even understand what “smart” means. He's a cypher. An incompetent. A frightened, senile old man desperately clutching at straws.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 05:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 09,
Aug 11th, 2012 - 06:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well, you know how they say “in the land of the blind a one-eye man is king”.
... and it is just a matter of time before Hugo launches his bid to be leader of the Pacific Alliance.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 06:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0... and, no, C #9, I don't think Mujica is at all stupid.
#7 Exactly. I don't think he's suddenly going to align with the PA block politically!
Aug 11th, 2012 - 09:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0He's right. Mercosul needs to be more flexible otherwise it will eventually end.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 10:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I googled it. Uruguay is going to or has already presented a letter of intention to the four countries in the Pacific Alliance, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Costa Rica and Panama are associate members.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 11:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am sure Dilma and Cristina must be lobbying Uruguay and Paraguay now not to join the alliance. But they will have to offer more than speeches.
Just as Chile and Bolivia are associate members of Mercosur, and Mexico has expressed interest in joining in the future. Who cares about the name, the important part is the unity...
Aug 12th, 2012 - 06:48 am - Link - Report abuse 015
Aug 12th, 2012 - 01:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Last June Argentina and China signed cooperation agreements in nuclear energy as well as agriculture and fisheries during a visit to the region of Primer Minister Wen Jiabao.
A few days later at a Mercosur summit in Mendoza, Argentina the group did not support the Wen Jiabao proposal to create a free trade zone between China and the group made up of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and now Venezuela.
unity indeed!!! lol
#15 Guzz,
Aug 12th, 2012 - 01:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Unity means nothing and it becomes an empty word when it does not mean equality and progress. It is not an end but a means to an end. If unity was the important part everyone will be trying to join Mercosur, but what countries are looking for is greater economic opportunities for their peoples to sell their products abroad and compete in fair conditions among themselves. Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico created the Pacific Alliance to do precisely that, and for the very simple reason that they did not find that in Mercosur, a bloc that at first inspired as an opportunity but later dissapointed with huge protectionism and unfair trade practices among themselves.
“Unity means nothing and it becomes an empty word when it does not mean equality and progress. It is not an end but a means to an end. If unity was the important part everyone will be trying to join Mercosur” (JAdeM #17, for Guzz)
Aug 12th, 2012 - 03:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I think this is exactly what we will see ... the Bolivarian emphasis on 'joining the club', perhaps by the ALBA members, en bloc.
The huge disparities in outlook, enterprise and output will be like bringing Romania et al into the EU on an equal footing with Germany. Except that there will be the usual South American favouring of 'Politics over Economics'.
I have very little hope for Mercosur now .... exactly the reverse of a few years back.
@ Guzz
Aug 12th, 2012 - 05:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You are so blinded by your zealousy. I love Uruguay, one of my favorite countries in the world, I´ve traveled extensively, I have no side or bias to blind me. I´m not from the UK. There is NO unity in South America currently. Peru and Chile are at eachother´s necks. Argentina is easily the most combatitive, hostile, and selfish nation in all South America. Uruguay would do well to cut ALL ties and ALL trade with Argentina, and look elsewhere. Don´t let your dreams of unity blind you. Maybe some day....but it´s not even on the horizon while Cristina is around.
Sorry to disappoint you lot, unification is happening as we spea... type. Regardless our differences. Of course we have border issues and disputes on trade, that doesn't affect the big picture. Watch and see :)
Aug 12th, 2012 - 06:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Guzz
Aug 12th, 2012 - 06:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If you were to go back, and read my comments from just a year ago, I was in agreeance, and in favor of Argentina. Then I traveled myself all through Argentina in person, saw Cristina in person, and read enough of their absurd combatitiveness in news, and saw firsthand that Argentina is a DISASTER!
That's your opinion, and I respect it. But I think this goes beyond Argentina :)
Aug 12th, 2012 - 06:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 015 Guzz (#)
Aug 13th, 2012 - 01:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Just as Chile and Bolivia are associate members of Mercosur, and Mexico has expressed interest in joining in the future.
Since years the Mercosur is begging Chile to enter their funny club as a full member, but we are only associates to check directly and from first hand what you guys mess up.
Keep tryin'
I cannot see Chile ever becoming a full member of a trade restricting association like Mercosur. Chile is complete committed to free trade as it has been responsible for its' stable economy.
Aug 13th, 2012 - 04:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#21 What was she like in person?
Aug 13th, 2012 - 04:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let's see what South American unity SHOULD mean:
Aug 13th, 2012 - 04:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0In the TRUE Bolivarian meaning of South American unity, the United States of South America.
This will never happen, the only unity we'll see in South America are disparate trading groups, e.g. Mercosur, Pacific Alliance, and political groupings such as ALBA etc.
There is no way South American nationalism would put up with turning South America into a federal republic!!!!!
@25 UGLY. But you KNOW that!
Aug 13th, 2012 - 05:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@26 Divide and conquer? Nobody has yet tried to explain how Paraguay would have difficulties joining the Pacific Alliance, because Bolivia is “in the way”, but Uruguay could do it. Can you help?
@ 26 Simon68: I guess it's almost impossible to reach a federal republic in the entire South America. In the other hand, 30 years ago you had none block in the continent. All you had by that time was South American countries shouting for some attention from the States and the european countries. Nowadays south american countries realized that cooperating with themselves makes them stronger to negotiate with other countries around the world. When you invest on Brazil you have access not only to Brazilian market but to Uruguayan, Paraguayan and Venezuelan as well (Argentina has many barriers but it's still easier gain their market using Mercosul).
Aug 13th, 2012 - 10:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 027 Conqueror (#)
Aug 14th, 2012 - 02:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I would say that Paraguay has more difficulties than Uruguay because it is landlocked.
That said, in this day and age, it shouldn't be that difficult to trade with the Pacific Alliance countries by way of air freight, only a bit more expensive.
@ 25 British Kirchnerist
Aug 14th, 2012 - 06:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0She was like a rabid dog, raving, foaming at the mouth, nothing at all like a President.
I saw her speaking in person while I was in Ushaia, back in like....February-ish. It was quite the site. She was literally screaming. I've never seen a “leader” act like that in my life.
oops, I meant to say “ quite the sight*”
Aug 14th, 2012 - 06:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0She was speaking at a rally about the Falklands. And yea, she was literally screaming, and spitting from the mouth, foaming, rabid dog, raving.
#30 I think you're exaggerating...so you don't like passion and charisma - fine! You won't find any in our political class here! Btw from the way you put it before I thought you'd met her, not just gone to a rally!
Aug 16th, 2012 - 09:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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