MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Uruguay ‘can’t ignore (Mercosur) reality’ and is applying for full Pacific Alliance membership
Vice-president and acting president Danilo Astori strongly defended the Uruguayan government’s intention of joining the Pacific Alliance, next to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, claiming that Mercosur has fallen into a state of ‘inactivity’ but also rejected point blank statements from Brazilian diplomacy contrary to such a move. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesAll well and good, but countries run by nut jobs should be put through a quarantine period prior to entry.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 06:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“All well and good, but countries run by nut jobs should be put through a quarantine period prior to entry.”
Jun 05th, 2013 - 06:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Just as your country that has an ideological clown (politician) in charge that is selling out idiots (clowns who can't think for them self and blindly follow their ideological leaders). Don't you see how you a make a fool out of yourself here with that those silly statements? No wait, you can't, you are brainwashed (not capable to think for yourself)
I wonder if you two chaps realise that for somebody with no idea where either of you are from, your posts make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 07:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@3 HAHAHAHA
Jun 05th, 2013 - 07:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0and yeay Uruguay!!
I'd rather Uruguay stayed away from the Pacific Alliance TBH... it is just 'Argentina lite'.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 08:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As Condorito said, a quarantine period may be appropriate to make sure Uruguay does not infect an organisation that actually seems fit for purpose.
It is interesting though that while some on here have spoken of Argentina teaching Paraguay a lesson, and expecting Paraguay to now come back to Mercosur after learning its place, Uruguay and Paraguay both seem intent on getting out of this abusive relationship.
Nevermind, at least Venezuela got to join.
Chuckle Chuckle
Well said ! I particularly liked the “ Uruguay is a sovereign ” country . Could be that the small boys are getting somewhat tired of Brazilian imperialism .
Jun 05th, 2013 - 08:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Pepe is planting the seed :)
Jun 05th, 2013 - 08:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I welcome this initiative.
@2 Aren't you Brazilian? Your country's greatest claim to fame is how women shave their pubic hair. And you call yourself by a dog's name. Let's give you a clue. 1+1=2. Start from there and see if you can achieve “intelligence”!
Jun 05th, 2013 - 09:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@7 Don't be ridiculous. “Pepe” couldn't plant a foot. And he has two of them. Both left. Still, best not to worry. If you get to the next “uruguayan” election before either argieland or Brazil take over, remember that, if you get a wooden block and an axe, you can have a pumpkin look-alike.
Too many mixed messages here which does nothing for my view on Astori being just marginally better than Pepe.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 09:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yay! My country finally does something worth noting.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 10:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0more unity? I cant take it.....mercosur..pfffff
Jun 05th, 2013 - 10:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 02 Angry Dutchy (in California)
Jun 05th, 2013 - 10:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Gosh you are just so clever you can see through it all. I wish I had your insight, however I clearly don’t so I just have to go on what I see. I was born in the 3rd world at a time when half of my compatriots lived below the poverty line. During my life (especially the last 25 years) I have seen a relentless improvement in the quality of life of my family, my friends, my co-worker and the people I see around me – that isn’t brainwash, that is visible and measurable. Long may they continue to sell me out and fool me!
3 Anbar,
Why is it relevant where I am from?
Pepe’s track record (politics before legality in the case of Paraguay’s expulsion from Mercosur) rings alarm bells for me. If Uruguay is to join the PA a “quarantine” period will be required.
7 Stevie
Welcome aboard.
Now please make your way to the quarantine ward...with Pepe.
God I love being right.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 11:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0After predicting and advocating this for the last couple of weeks, months even, it is happening!
@1 @12 Condorito
Due to the Pacific Alliance's informal structure and the fact that it has no supranational institutions, there is little need for a quarantine period. What would happen during this period?
Uruguay just has to implement the agreed upon bilateral rules between each current member. I understand that there is probably apprehension that Uruguay will bring a slightly less liberal viewpoint on trade, but Uruguay has a choice - Mercosur or the Pacific Alliance.
In 20 years Mercosur has hardly advanced. In a year the Pacific Alliance has gone from nothing to the major Latin American trade group. Countries have 3 choices; Mercosur, Pacific Alliance or go it alone.
Thankfully the founding members have already put a certain spin on the PA's outlook and structure. The longer they have to deepen this, the less likely any new members can do about it. Hopefully Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela stick with Mercosur so they can be handled and dealt with outside of PA as a bloc.
I'm pretty sure Panama is joining isn't it?
Next, Paraguay!
Stevie - 4 words:
I
TOLD
YOU
SO
Vice president Astori; PA`s bussiness community assures that Uruguay will be warmly welcomed into PA. Let the rest of the crowd behind and step further shaking off the “mercosur trap”. The sooner the better.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 11:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0idiot Conqueror, I'm not Brazilian, never typed that Brazil is the greatest nation on earth, but typed that condorito is an ideologue kool aid drinker who pretends that Chile is paradise because of it's (bogus) “free trade” policy. Guess what, it isn't and it's being sold out because of ideologues supported by ideologues. Chile is still one of the most unequal nation on earth, no difference as other latin american nations.
Jun 05th, 2013 - 11:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#2
Jun 05th, 2013 - 11:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0FD. I always thought Condorito was from Chile, yet you accuse him to be from Argentina...
13 Anglotino
Jun 06th, 2013 - 01:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0One of the factors behind PA’s early success is that all members have shared national interests. That is not necessarily the case with Uruguay, and if not, we are better without them. The PA has created a joint university system and a joint stock exchange. This is a deep level of integration and taking on new members will need to be done carefully.
15 Angry Dutchy
Nope, never drunk kool aid.
Nope, never said Chile is paradise... (although my little corner of Elqui comes close)....
...but I have said many times that Chile is still a poor country. However it is much better than it was and it is much better than it would be if it had taken the route of other Latam nations. You could count on 1 hand the countries that have grown as much as Chile in the last 20 years. We have many social issues that are being voiced more loudly now as a result of increased prosperity – those are growing pains that we have to deal with.
16 Chicureo
LOL.
@15
Jun 06th, 2013 - 02:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0...Guess what, it isn't and it's being sold out because of ideologues supported by ideologues...
Are you serious? Does your statement not perfectly apply to the heroic bolivarian revolutionary leaders, their heroic bolivarian revolution and their followers?
I can understand being against neoliberalism but you need some consistency and integrity with your comments.
What really surprises me it´s Brazil´s stubbornness to hold on to a derailed, outdated regional hegemony project that was supposed to guarantee its sphere of influence in South America: now reduced to Argentina and Venezuela, countries that won´t even play by their own rules, while Uruguay and Paraguay seriously talk about joining the Pacific Alliance to both improve their odds for greater market access and why not? to kick back and leverage their negotiation position at the table with their larger Mercosur partners. We can all see that Uruguay and Paraguay are having fun.
Jun 06th, 2013 - 03:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0From a foreign policy perspective, the Pacific Alliance has become the night mare of Brazil´s and Argentina´s prepotent foreign and economic policy towards their partners, It has shown their true colors: prepotence and narrow-minded ideological premises. With Venezuela´s entrance, Argentina and Brazil have cast the already ill fate of Mercosur into world irrelevance and oblivion, obviously in exchange for a few more bolivarian barrels of oil at lower prices, Mercosur is now biting the dust because of their irresponsible foreign policy.
@17 Condorito
Jun 06th, 2013 - 07:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0I understand your concerns. Look at how Mercosur, a trade group of 4 countries, has been effectively hijacked by Argentina and Brazil to the detriment of others.
I am a believer and advocate of regional integration, but a rigid top down institution like the EU is not always the best path. A more flexible bottom up structure can create the flexibility for some to integrate further than others.
The Pacific Alliance would be wise to let each country integrate and advance at a pace and to a point they desire. This is where he EU went wrong. It is where Mercosur went wrong.
If Uruguay meets the minimum requirements then that is fine. If it doesn't want to integrate its university system and recognise qualifications then it doesn't benefit. Same with free movement or stock exchanges. And let's face it, any potential future currency union.
The EU would have been wiser to accept different countries at different speeds. Perhaps even more than once currency.
Not many people realise that one of the world's most successful integration projects involves Australia and New Zealand. The CER covers many different things and isn't driven by some supranational oganisation that is removed from the people, but driven bilaterally (easier with only 2 countries admittedly) by each elected government.
We currently have free movement, recognition of qualifications, common business rules, joint standards, joint food standards, welfare and more.
It doesn't cover our stock exchanges, currency, banking, defence forces or immigration because we don't need these to integrate. For all intents and purposes Australia and New Zealand have integrated much more deeply and successfully than some parts of the EU and few know about it.
Anglotino
Jun 06th, 2013 - 09:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0You said Uruguay was going to leave Mercosur and join the PA.
That is not the case, is it? Uruguay will never abandon Mercosur as long as Pepe breathes, he just told the world so.
Remember what I said? I don't care if the integration is called Alianza Pacifica, Mercosur, or something else entirely. The important part is that we are United.
And here we are, Uruguay still in Mercosur and the SA integration stronger than ever. And you tols me so...
Fair enough, we must be speaking the same words...
19 JAM
Jun 06th, 2013 - 01:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It will be interesting to see how had Brazil fights to keep Uruguay out of the PA.
20 Anglotino
That is very interesting about Australia and NZ’s integration. Perhaps some of the success it down to shared national interests.
Stevie,
“ I don't care if the integration is called Alianza Pacifica, Mercosur, or something else entirely. “
Really? From previous posts I thought you were an advocate of protectionism – the complete opposite of the PA ground rules. If you are happy with the PA for Uruguay I congratulate you on the pragmatism of the 180 that you have pulled in the name of integration.
It is ironic that those who desired greater integration for overtly political ends have laboured under the Mercosur flag for 20 years and actually achieved segregation. While the PA with the aim of improving trading efficiencies, is actually achieving integration.
8 Conqueror:
Jun 06th, 2013 - 03:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Actually I think you'll find Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Junior Dos Santos, Lyoto Machida, Christiane Santos and Royce Gracie have well and truly supplanted 'the Brazillian' in terms of international recognition. Just ask an American if you don't believe me.
Condorito
Jun 06th, 2013 - 04:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am indeed an advocate for protectionism, and the PA is indeed protectionist, otherwise they wouldn't have to drop tariffs between themselves.
(If you fail to see the logic, it means there are tariffs for goods entering from outside the bloc).
If you had read my previous posts, I'm all in for protectionism when trading with other blocs, but I do see the gain in removing as much obstacles as possible within them.
The outward protectionism is, according to me, a need to protect the local production and reduce the environmental impact long distance trading has on the planet.
But within SA, I'd love to see a full integration, with no tariffs in trading.
Although I'd like to see it happen slowly, to minimize impact on local production.
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