Mercosur

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 13:38 UTC

  Mercosur remains strategic for Uruguay and must be “strengthened”

  

  Uruguay will emphasize the need to “strengthen” Mercosur given the global context and the current weakness of the group’s cohesion said the country’s head of the Economic, Integration and Mercosur affairs office at the foreign relations ministry. However the current political environment does not seem to be the most appropriate.

• Wednesday, May 27th 2009 - 12:09 UTC

  Argentine industries union rejects Venezuela in Mercosur

  

  Argentina’s powerful Industrial Union (UIA) urged Argentina's government to revise the possibility of integrating Venezuela as a member of the Mercosur, “after the reiterating actions which have implied the nationalization of companies in Venezuela”.

• Wednesday, May 27th 2009 - 11:53 UTC

  Brazil confident Venezuela joins Mercosur next September

  

  Brazil Lula da Silva said on Tuesday his peer Hugo Chavez is expecting the Brazilian Senate to approve Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur before next September.

• Monday, May 25th 2009 - 17:55 UTC

  Mercosur is a “body without soul” says Brazilian minister

  

  Mercosur is currently a “body without soul” admitted Brazil’s Strategic Affairs minister Roberto Mangabeira Unger who called for a joint project to overcome “the huge asymmetries of power between Brazil and its neighbours”.

• Saturday, May 16th 2009 - 13:43 UTC

  Mercosur junior members coordinate position for coming summit

  

  Paraguay and Uruguay are committed to the consolidation of Mercosur, in spite of the ongoing trade differences among its members, said Uruguayan president Tabaré Vazquez.

• Saturday, May 9th 2009 - 07:29 UTC

  Brazilian Senate leader reiterates opposition to Venezuela in Mercosur

  

  Former Brazilian president Jose Sarney and currently head of the federal Senate, reiterated his opposition to Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur because of differences over interpretations of democratic governance with the regime of President Hugo Chavez.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 06:06 UTC

  Mercosur agenda remains stalled complains Paraguay

  

  With only two months for the Mercosur presidential summit there have been no advances in vital issues such as trade barriers and the Customs Code, reported Oscar Rodríguez Campuzano, Paraguay’s Deputy minister for International Economic Relations.

• Thursday, April 30th 2009 - 12:13 UTC

  Brazil, Argentina consolidate dominance of Mercosur

  

  Mercosur representatives reached this week in Asuncion, Paraguay a political agreement which opens the way for the creation of a Supranational Justice Tribunal and “contained” proportional representation in the Mercosur parliament.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 10:39 UTC

  Venezuela’s access to Mercosur should be cleared by May 26

  

  Venezuela agreed to comply with Mercosur intra-trade conditions so that its stalled incorporation request can be finally approved by the Brazilian Congress. Hopefully the issue will be finalized for when President Hugo Chavez makes a state visit to Brazil next May 26, according to Brazilian Foreign Secretary Celso Amorim quoted by the Sao Paulo press.

• Monday, April 27th 2009 - 13:47 UTC

  Brazilian private sector divided over Venezuela and Mercosur

  

  The congressional controversy in Brazil over the incorporation of Venezuela has moved to the business sector. A group of Brazilian businessmen have begun lobbying strongly for Venezuela’s full membership but the process has been stalled by Brazilian and Paraguayan law makers.