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Venezuela insists in re-establishing full relations with Paraguay, but legal obstacles remain

Thursday, October 10th 2013 - 02:34 UTC
Full article 52 comments
The two ministers with the background of the two flags shake hands in Asunción The two ministers with the background of the two flags shake hands in Asunción

Venezuela and Paraguay need to re-establish full relations and overcome “all the obstacles that need to be overcome”, said Foreign minister Elías Jaua currently in Asunción, a special guest of his counterpart Eladio Loizaga.

“We need to overcome all the obstacles that have to be overcome and re-establish full relations between Venezuela and Paraguay. We are already thinking in sending a new ambassador to Asunción”, said Jaua following his first meeting with Loizaga not long after arriving on Wednesday to the Paraguayan capital.

Paraguay-Venezuela relations broke down in June 2012 when the Paraguayan Senate impeached and removed then President Fernando Lugo. The reaction of regional groups Mercosur and Unasur was to suspend Paraguay until new elections were held. During those tense days of June, the Foreign minister Nicolas Maduro was caught on tape trying to convince the Paraguayan armed forces commanders to send troops to the streets of Asunción in support of removed Lugo.

Paraguay declared Maduro persona non grata, and relations broke down. A year later and following presidential elections when Horacio Cartes became president, Mercosur and Unasur lifted the suspension on 15 August when Cartes was inaugurated, but Venezuela was not invited to the ceremony.

Paraguay was also disappointed because following the June 2012 suspension and taking advantage of its absence the other three Mercosur full members decided in later July 2012 to incorporate Venezuela as full member of the group and rewarded Caracas with the six month presidency.

The new administration of President Cartes has said it wishes to return to Mercosur but is demanding respect for Paraguayan institutions, and compliance with rule of the law, international law and Mercosur charter. Likewise in 2012 the Paraguayan Senate voted against the incorporation of Venezuela and this must be reversed.

The foreign ministers are looking for ways to overcome the current situation, keeping to the rules and respecting institutions, which is proving harder than expected and more demanding that when the original decision to incorporate Venezuela, despite the absence of Paraguay was justified as “more political than institutional”.

Meanwhile opposition members in Congress have said that the Legislative is ready to take a vote on the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur, to help re-establish normal relations, but this is an initiative that belongs to President Cartes.

“Not a word from the government about addressing the Venezuela situation, but it all looks heading that way. At some point the Executive will have to send the bill with the incorporation protocol for Venezuela”, said opposition Senator Hugo Richer.

“Conditions are now different. The previous congress rejected the incorporation of Venezuela, but I don’t think such a position still prevails”, added Richer. “In the framework of Mercosur all is possible”.
 

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules
  • Anglotino

    ”In the framework of Mercosur all is possible”

    Except for free trade!

    Oct 10th, 2013 - 03:38 am 0
  • Stevie

    Wrong again Anglolatino.
    The only exception is with you lot, your aim is too wide...

    Oct 10th, 2013 - 07:22 am 0
  • GeoffWard2

    We all thought that Paraguay's objection was to Chavez, but it would seem that the objection is to Chavezism ... now personified in Maduro.
    Real reconciliation can only come about when the legacy of Chavezism and 'Bolivarism' is expunged from Venezuela and from Mercosur.

    Oct 10th, 2013 - 09:45 am 0
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