MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Temer will be absent from Mercosur summit; displeasure with Venezuela

Temer ”does not wish to participate in the solemnity of the event when Venezuela takes over the Mercosur presidency “according to sources in Folha de Sao Paulo.

Brazilian interim president Michel Temer will be absent from the next Mercosur summit scheduled to take place in Montevideo, and this decision is considered a strong message to the Venezuelan government of president Nicolas Maduro that will be taking the group's chair for the next six months.

 Temer and his foreign minister Jose Serra have already informed Uruguay of their decision not to travel to Montevideo in July when president Tabare Vazquez will be hosting the Mercosur summit and handing the chair to Venezuela.

Temer “does not wish to participate in the solemnity of the event when Venezuela takes over the Mercosur presidency”, according to diplomatic sources and published in Folha de Sao Paulo.

In an interview earlier in the week Folha quoted Temer saying that the situation in Venezuela “is not good, of course I'm saying the obvious”

”Recently we deliberated with (foreign) minister Serra to send medicines to the Venezuela people, because the situation is very serious with all the anguished people“, said Temer. ”I hope they do not reject the aid because it is evident that the people need to be given aid and support“.

More specifically on Mercosur's future and Brazilian policy, Temer said that the group represents an obstacle for trade agreements with third parties, and should be reviewed, ”but not eliminated“.

Temer's statement reemphasize Serra's message to all Mercosur country members, who has said that the block must be more flexible and return to its origin which was mainly focused on trade. In recent years with populist governments Mercosur had become highly ideological.

”Mercosur must award more space to its partners in the search for new trade accords and to universalize its relations. Mercosur is important, obviously, but Brazil has many difficulties in reaching new accords because it is a prisoner of the block's conditions“, said Temer.

Under Mercosur rules, members are impeded from establishing trade accord negotiations individually, only with full consensus, and this ”must be reviewed“ insisted the Brazilian leader.

”We must review parts of Mercosur rules so that we can have more secure guidelines in that intention to universalize our relations“. Temer went on to say that reaching a wide ranging agreement with the European Union if of ”fundamental importance“.

However the Brazilian president declined to comment on UK's decision to leave the EU, although Brazil will be monitoring how the situation evolves, and possible economic and trade consequences.

”We do not discuss political decisions of other countries“ pointed out Temer, ”we will be in the outlook for possible consequences for Brazil”

The Brazilian central bank has stated it has enough foreign reserves to handle possible cash outflows caused by the Brexit. Sao Paulo's stock exchange fell sharply on Friday due to result of the UK referendum.