Brazil foreign minister attends emergency Mercosur meeting in Buenos Aires

After signing a joint communication criticizing the political atmosphere in Venezuela, Brazil's Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes confirmed he is to attend an emergency Mercosur meeting slated for Saturday (Mar. 1) in Buenos Aires to discuss the matter. Called by Argentina, the meeting should also be attended by representatives from Paraguay and Uruguay, also members of the bloc.

This Friday (31), country members of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) published a communication opposing the decision of Venezuela's Supreme Court to limit the National Assembly, taken over by the opposition to President Nicolás Maduro. The bloc, of which Chile and Colombia are also members, called for “the immediate reestablishment of democratic order” in Venezuela.

According to the statement, the news “alarmed”  UNASUR member nations, as the incident represents an attack against the principles of representative democracy and the independence of the branches of government. In addition to joint demonstrations, a number of countries have taken individual action against the decision made by Venezuela's top court.

“The countries in the region reiterate the urgent call for the government of Venezuela to take effective steps towards the implementation of concrete measures, orchestrated alongside the oppositions, in accordance with the dispositions of Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to ensure the effective separation of branches, the respect for the state of law, human rights, and the democratic institutions,” the document reads.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira