Venezuela's Mercosur entry unlikely, says Brazil senator
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| Published on Thursday, July 5, 2007 |
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BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters): Brazil's Congress is unlikely to approve Venezuela's entry into the South American trade bloc Mercosur within a deadline set by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday.
"I don't see much possibility of approving the Venezuelan request within three months," Heraclito Fortes, head of the Senate committee, told Reuters.
"Venezuela hasn't met the criteria for entry and Chavez is trying to put the blame on somebody else," Fortes added.
Chavez told Mercosur nations on Tuesday they must approve Venezuela's membership in the trade bloc within three months or he would withdraw the request to join it.
Venezuela last year quit the Andean trade bloc to join political allies Brazil and Argentina in Mercosur.
But industry leaders in Brazil have repeatedly warned that Chavez wants to use the group as a regional platform for his political agenda and would undermine their trade interests.
They are also concerned that Chavez's nationalization of key industries and growing controls over media could prevent the European Union from relaunching trade talks with Mercosur.
Brazil's government recently urged Chavez to make a "gesture of good will" following a spat between the leftist leader and Brazil's Senate, which criticized Chavez for the recent closure of an opposition television station.
"He has to comply not only with trade norms but also with democratic norms," said Fortes, who is a member of the opposition Democratas party. | | | | Reads : 248 | | | |
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