Brazilian Senate to approve Venezuela's entry to Mercosur

[Judi Lynn]

CARACAS, Monday May 18, 2009
Brazilian Senate to approve Venezuela's entry to Mercosur
Lobbyists prevail over opposition senators

Economy
The Brazilian opposition was forced to review its strong rejection to Venezuela's entry into the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), as bilateral trade relations are convenient for Brazil. The dissenters said that they would okay Venezuela's membership in the regional bloc, but "with restrictions," according to Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

In remarks published by Folha as reported by DPA, leaders of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), the main opposition party to the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, admitted that despite significant political differences with Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, the accession of Venezuela to Mercosur, which depends on the approval of the Senates of Brazil and Paraguay, is a good choice for Brazil. "We have strong political differences with Chávez, but we know that, from an economic point of view, the entry of Venezuela (into Mercosur) is interesting for Brazil," said Senator Alvaro Dias, from the PSDB.

Strong lobby
A few days ago, the group of PSDB senators advised the Rapporteur of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Brazilian Senate, the social democrat leader Tasso Jereissati, to include in his opinion a series of demands, such as more democracy and more respect for human rights by President Chávez, in order to approve Venezuela's entry to the economic bloc as a full member.

"The weight of democracy is very important," Jereissati said, but he admitted that it is not a reason to prevent Venezuela's entry. According to the news report, social democrats fear the power that Chávez would have to veto bilateral agreements between the other members of Mercosur. Therefore, Jereissati could include in his proposal a clause to minimize such Chávez's power.

http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/05/18/en_eco_esp_brazilian-senate-to_18A2334349.shtml