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.
Paraguay is considering the announcement made by Uruguayan president Jose Mujica who suggested delaying the coming Mercosur summit in Montevideo scheduled for the end of June, ‘to wait and give time for Paraguay’ (currently suspended) to return to the block.
Paraguayan Foreign minister Jose Fernandez Estigarribia said on Monday that so far Asuncion has not received any invitation from Mercosur to attend the coming summit at the end of June, and there haven’t been any talks about the issue. Last week the Argentine ambassador in Uruguay Dante Dovena had anticipated that Paraguay would be attending the Mercosur summit.
Mercosur must negotiate any possible incorporation to the Alliance of the Pacific “as a block” since it is important that its member countries remain ‘united’ and respect the current charter, said the Mercosur High Representative, Ambassador Ivan Ramalho from Brazil.
The Argentine ambassador to Uruguay, Dante Dovena, assured that authorities are “working intensely” in preparations for the next Mercosur summit scheduled to take place on June 28th in Montevideo. However news form Paraguay doesn’t indicate the same optimism and are demanding respect for ‘the country’s dignity and rule of the law”.
The Alliance of the Pacific announced this week that Paraguay had been accepted as an observer of the regional group. Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos chair and host of the alliance summit in Cali made it official during the reading of the final declaration.
President Federico Franco said Paraguay has long cancelled its debts for the construction of two huge shared hydroelectric dams with its powerful neighbours and demanded Argentina pay for the surplus energy it receives and compensation for flooding Paraguayan territory.
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said he is prepared for political dialogue with the leader of the opposition Henrique Capriles to ensure peace in the country, even if it means “talking to the devil”. He also warned that United States must “give a huge leap forward” if relations as equals are to be advanced between Caracas and Washington.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro got strong backing from regional heavyweight Brazil on a tour of Mercosur allies to cement his legitimacy as political heir to the late Hugo Chavez.
Paraguay has made official its request to become an observer of the Pacific Alliance, (Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru), as part of its policy to strengthen relations with other countries that goes beyond Mercosur and has proven very successful for the exchange of experiences.