Bolivia’s entry as full member should set the tone at Mercosur summit
The next Mercosur summit meeting, scheduled to take place in Asunción, Paraguay, on Monday (Jul. 8), should have as one of its highlights the announcement of Bolivia’s full membership of the trade bloc, following approval by the parliaments of the member countries, including Bolivia’s, which concluded its vote on Wednesday (3).
Such was the forecast of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry’s Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean Gisela Padovan, who listed the main points of interest for the next assembly between the bloc’s presidents.
Once Bolivia becomes a member, Mercosur will have six full members, even though one of them, Venezuela, has been suspended from the bloc indefinitely.
Bolivia will be given four years to meet all the requirements for full membership of Mercosur, not only regarding trade, but also regarding other issues, like the preservation of democracy.
The ambassador reiterated the position of Brazil’s government, which condemned an attempted coup thwarted last week in Bolivia. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will fly to the neighboring country immediately after the summit and once again express solidarity with President Luis Arce, with whom he is set to hold bilateral meetings.
President Lula is also scheduled to meet with Brazilian and Bolivian investors who work near the border, which is Brazil’s longest with any other country. They should also discuss issues surrounding migration between the two countries, as well as security, especially with regard to drug trafficking.
On agreements and announcements, Padovan noted that, under the scope of Mercosur—a bloc that is celebrating its 33rd anniversary—all main trade agreements have been reached over the years, with only “residual” understandings still to be made official.
Among the new agreements to be signed is a deal to increase the operating capacity of the Jirau Hydroelectric Power Plant, built on the Madeira river in Rondônia, 100 km from Brazil’s border with Bolivia. Plans also include an accord to promote joint film production and a memorandum in which the nations will align their experiences in preventing and combating natural disasters.
“[Climate disasters] are an aspect that has come into our lives to stay, whether nationally, regionally, or globally,” Padovan underscored.
A new committee is also being set up in a bid to provide nations a chance to discuss perceived obstacles to improving trade flow. “We expect it to be a forum for raising specific issues we have traditionally faced across different areas for different products,” said the Foreign Ministry’s secretary for Mercosur, Ambassador Francisco Pessanha Cannabrava.
Milei
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry also expressed disappointment at Argentine President Javier Milei’s announcement that he would not be attending the Mercosur summit in Paraguay. According to the ministry, this will be the first time a head of state chooses not to attend the gathering.
“We’re sorry to hear it. It’s not a desirable thing to happen,” Padovan declared, adding, however, that “the substance of the summit doesn’t change at all, due to the very maturity of Mercosur, even though it’s not desirable politically.”
The ambassador also denied that Brazil had received any official communication about President Milei coming to the country next weekend. However, the Argentine leader confirmed this week he intends to take part in the Conservative Action Political Conference (CPAC), starting Saturday (6) in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina state, South Brazil, where he is due to meet with former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
