MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur signs AMIA declaration against terrorism

Bullrich invited Mercosur officials over to Buenos Aires for the ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary of the AMIA bombing

Dignitaries from all South American Common Market (Mercosur) nations gathered in Asunción last week to sign a declaration against terrorism which was named after the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) in Buenos Aires just a month before the 30th anniversary of the bombing of its headquarters on July 18, 1994, killing 85 people and leaving some 300 wounded.

The “AMIA Declaration for the Prevention of Terrorism” was agreed upon during the 51st Meeting of Ministers of the Interior and Security of Mercosur and Associated States, Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich explained.

On April 11, an Argentine court held Iran and Hezbollah responsible for the attack and labeled it a “crime against humanity” so that no statute of limitations ever applies to this case. Tehran has repeatedly denied its involvement in the case.

Bullrich invited the other attendees at the Paraguayan event to be in Buenos Aires for the commemorative events on July 17 and 18. She also highlighted the importance of brotherly ties among regional law enforcement forces in the fight against organized crime. Mercosur is currently formed by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

During the meeting held in Asunción given that Paraguay currently holds Mercosur's rotating presidency, 9 other understandings were reached: 7 of them regarding security cooperation and 2 others on access to justice and the fight against organized crime in the penitentiary systems, Paraguayan Interior Minister Enrique Riera explained.

The agreement on organized crime, Riera said, will be submitted for consideration by those attending the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Asunción between June 26 and 28.

In another declaration, the Mercosur officials condemned transnational organized crime, human trafficking, and the illegal smuggling of migrants, including a regional adaptation guide for the early detection of human trafficking situations at border crossings.

Brazil's Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski pointed out that security within Mercosur was not “just about fighting crime and criminal organizations”, but rather “growing integration in the political, economic, cultural and diplomatic spheres.”