Paraguay’s President-Elect Wants Venezuela in Mercosur

Text of report by prominent Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color website on 23 May

[Unattributed Article: "President-elect Wants Venezuela in Mercosur" Slantlines indicate passage published in boldface.]

/Yesterday, President-elect Fernando Lugo declared that Paraguay and Brazil are greatly indebted o Venezuela, for not having approved in Congress the entry of Hugo Chavez’s country into the Common Market of the South (Mercosur). “If there is an official request from Venezuela, it should be considered,” declared Lugo, while adding that he favours the growth of Mercosur, and its conversion into an environment for mutual aid among the member countries, and for development./

Mercosur was one of the topics of the conversation between Lugo and the president of Uruguay, TabareVazquez, at the Suarez Residence yesterday, as was the need for integration among South America’s small countries, so as to negotiate the sale of their products together. Lugo revealed that, during the last summit of heads of State, held in Lima (Peru), there was a discussion about reactivating Urupabol [Permanent Commission of Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia], created during the 1970s, and consisting of those three countries, with the precise intention of seeking to open markets together. Now, Chile would be added to it.

Lugo said: “We have much in common, as well as the opportunity for combining forces and efforts to make our countries progress . We attempted to bring up Urupabol with Evo (Morales, president of Bolivia) during the summit. It was a brief conversation, and we couldn’t discuss the subject in depth, but the intention to reactivate exists.” The former bishop declared himself a proponent of complete unity among Latin American countries to achieve better results. He mentioned Unasur [Union of South American Nations], which is meeting today in Brazil where, according to Lugo, Cuba and Mexico, among other Central American countries, should not be missing. He remarked: “Latin American unity is the great dream. We must find the way to make it come true.”

Lugo expressed appreciation for the progress made by the Tabare government in the economic and social areas. He indicated his interest in increasing the commercial exchange with the Charrua [Uruguayan] country, and in signing agreements for seeking markets together, concurrently with Mercosur. He cited as an example the fact that Uruguay has succeeded in entering the continental Chinese market, towards which Paraguay still appears reluctant. He pointed out: “We are still in a dilemma, and reflecting, without yet making the decision to undertake trade relations with China, which is a gigantic market recognized on a worldwide level.”

Originally published by ABC Color website, Asuncion, in Spanish 23 May 08.

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