Argentina is opposed to reinstating Venezuela’s membership of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), whilst other member states are inclined to support this initiative.
According to Report, this is reported by the newspaper Clarín.
It is noted that following reports of possible support for Caracas’s return from other members of the bloc, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry was instructed to block this decision.
According to the publication, Buenos Aires is not interested in resuming Venezuela’s membership, which was suspended in 2016, partly due to the likely intensification of competition in the energy sector.
Earlier, Paraguay’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Marco Riquelme, stated that Asunción fully supports Venezuela’s return to MERCOSUR and intends to push this issue forward before the end of its temporary presidency of the bloc. In July, the presidency will pass to Uruguay.
As the newspaper notes, the idea of reinstating Caracas’s membership is also supported by Uruguay and Brazil.
It should be recalled that MERCOSUR is South America’s largest trade and economic bloc. Its founding members were Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Bolivia joined the bloc in 2024. Venezuela became a member of the bloc in 2012, but its membership was suspended four years later.
https://report.az/ru/drugie-strany/argentina-vystupila-protiv-vozvrasheniya-venesuely-v-mercosur
