Brazilian businesspeople and diplomats expressed their disappointment with Mercosur and said it was crucial for Brazil to sign free trade agreements on its own with third countries, which under current rules of the South American trade block are not allowed.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez downplayed immediate discussions for the trade and cooperation agreement between EU and Mercosur arguing that the South American block should elaborate and discuss new proposals to be presented to the Europe Union on the last quarter of this year.
The first summit of the Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States, CELAC, the brain child of president Hugo Chavez, paid tribute to the Venezuelan leader who is recovering from cancer surgery in Havana, Cuba, the country that on Monday will be receiving the group’s chair from Chile.
Brazil’s powerful manufacturers’ lobby openly criticized the “illegal barriers” imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez on Brazilian produce, and also lashed at President Dilma Rousseff for her administration’s “permissive attitude” towards Buenos Aires, a position that has “paralyzed Mercosur”.
Brazilian corporations with strong interests in Venezuela have expressed concern about the future of the country and its impact on Mercosur if the political transition, because of President Hugo Chavez health condition, does not follow the constitutional process
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica leaves for Caracas “to support the government and people of Venezuela” on Thursday 10 January, the date in which convalescent re-re-elected president Hugo Chavez is supposed to take the oath of office.
The European Union expects to advance cooperation and trade discussions with Mercosur late this month in Chile in the sidelines of the EU/Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), said EU ambassador in Chile, Rafael Dochao Moreno.
President Jose Mujica anticipated that the Argentine economy can’t remain ‘closed for much more time’ (protectionist) and forecasted that 2013 will be a ‘clear year’ for Uruguay regarding economic issues.
Mercosur leading members Brazil and Argentina are closely following the Venezuelan situation confident there are no reasons for surprises or fears about the democratic system, while the most respected political reporter of the country Nelson Bocaranda assures that President Cristina Fernandez, CFK, paid a secret visit to Havana in December where she talked with Hugo Chavez about his true health condition.
Venezuela gave another step in its integration process as full member of Mercosur underlining recent achievements with its partners Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay but completely ignored Paraguay, the fourth full member currently suspended from the block.