The adhesion still needs to be approved by the Senate. Congresspeople show their worry with the lack of democracy in the South-American country.

With nine favorable and four contrary votes, the Brazilian Representation at the Mercosul Parliament (Parlasul) approved on Wednesday (18) the adhesion of Venezuela to the economic bloc. That decision has already been approved by the Chamber, but still has to be ratified by the Committee on Foreign Relations and by the Floor of the Senate.

The Deputy Cláudio Diaz (PSDB-RS) presented a separate vote against the adhesion of Venezuela to the bloc. He said it is not profitable for Brazil at this moment, and would cause more problems to Mercosul, in addition to increasing already-existing conflicts among the four member-countries: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Diaz challenged the privileged treatment received by Venezuela regarding Brazil and Argentina. The text determines that, while Brazil and Argentina will open their trade to Venezuela in 2010, the opposite will happen only in 2012.

In response to that, the rapporteur of the Legislative Decree Bill 387/07, which contains the Adhesion Protocol of Venezuela to Mercosul, Deputy Dr. Rosinha (PT-PR), affirmed that the political speech of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez does not correspond to the economic practice of Venezuela.

According to Dr. Rosinha, the main commercial partners of that country are currently the United States and Colombia, which are ideologically contrary to Venezuela.

Weaker economy
The president of the Brazilian Representation, Senator Aloizio Mercadante (PT-SP) defended the differentiated treatment to Venezuela, caused by the fact that economy in that country is much weaker than the Brazilian one.

Mercadante reminded that the higher commercial surplus of Brazil is exactly with Venezuela: 4.6 billion dollars in 2008. “In their relation with Brazil, they are actually much more fragile”, he stressed.

Mercadante highlighted that nationalism and protectionism were the response of most of the countries to the economic crisis of 1929, which resulted in the II World War. Therefore he believes integration will be a solution of South America to better face the global financial crisis.

Exception list
Cláudio Diaz also challenged the congresspeople about the products-exception list, which is still being negotiated. Products which were not part of the free trade among countries of that bloc were included in the list.

Dr. Rosinha said that those issues will be permanently discussed in ethical instances, and therefore are not detailed in the parliamentary discussion of Mercosul. He also reminded that the European Union has more than 1,000 products listed as exceptions, and that that fact does not impeach negotiation among countries.

Motion for Focem
At the meeting, the motion proposing the review of budgeting cut-offs on fundings by Brazil to Mercosul Parliament and to the Mercosul’s Fund for Structural Convergence (Focem) was also approved.

That document will be submitted to the presidents of the Federal Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies, and to the Ministers of State and of Finances and of Budget, Planning and Management.

Report - Cristiane Bernardes
Editing - Newton Araújo
Translation – Positive Idiomas Ltda