Mercosur coordinators met Tuesday in Montevideo looking for ways to defuse the crisis arising from the transfer of the pro tempore presidency of the bloc, in a match that ended without official announcements.
AFP
There was "considerable overlap" between Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, said Paraguayan Vice Foreign Minister Rigoberto Gauto reporters after the meeting, although he declined to give details on alternatives that are managed to overcome the impasse and said only that would raise reports to chancellors.
Gauto insisted on the "vacancy" of the pro tempore presidency and said that work towards bringing the southern block other groups of countries like the European Union and the Pacific Alliance will continue despite the lack of a coordinator recognized by the partners in front of Mercosur.
In a similar meeting in early August, they were attended by representatives of Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, but was absent Venezuela, who also participated in the meeting on Tuesday.
Mercosur is experiencing one of its worst crisis since its founding in 1991, only comparable to that generated the suspension of Paraguay in 2012 after a parliamentary trial that ousted President Fernando Lugo left.
Then, in an incomplete presidential summit, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil solved the entry of Venezuela as a full member.
In alphabetical order, in July 2016 Venezuela had to assume the rotating presidency of the group, where for six months would coordinate the agenda of Mercosur. But Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina oppose.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Jose Serra, said bluntly last week that his country believes that "Venezuela is living under an authoritarian regime, undemocratic" and argued that "a country that has political prisoners can not be a democratic country."
"Venezuela is not going to take the Mercosur, that's for sure," he topped the Brazilian minister.
Paraguay on his side, asked Venezuela to release the imprisoned dissidents and accused the government of Nicolas Maduro want to block Parliament opositora- -of mostly through justice.
Argentina meanwhile, wants a collegial government of Mercosur until he takes office in January, while its president Mauricio Macri has been very critical of the human rights situation in Venezuela.
Uruguay is the only partner that wants Caracas takes office and accepts the decision Maduro, proclaimed in front of Mercosur once Montevideo left office, though the other partners do not recognize or accept the decisions taken.
Maduro accused Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to form the "triple alliance torturers of South America", called the Brazilian interim government as "an imposed dictatorship" branded Macri of "failed" and the government of Horacio Cartes in Paraguay of "oligarchy (...) corrupt and drug dealer. "