The Deputy Dr. Rosinha (PT-PR) said that, if the president of the Senate, José Sarney, hampers the joining of Venezuela to Mercosul, he will be committing a mistake. “It will be a historical amnesia”, he said.

According to the Senator Pedro Simon (PMDB-RS), José Sarney, before assuming the Presidency of the Senate, would have indicated that he would hamper the entrance of Venezuela in the economic bloc. Last week, though, Sarney, who had already assumed the presidency of the Senate, said that he would not delay or advance the voting on the agreement, nor any other matter.

Dr. Rosinha reminds that it was the very José Sarney, when he was the President of the Republic, who signed the Agreement on the Cooperation and Association Brazil-Argentina, which later originated Mercosul. For the deputy, the process needs now to unfold, and, according to him, the entrance of Venezuela is essential to that unfolding.

Ideology issues
For Dr. Rosinha, the integration should not be restrained to ideology issues related to the current leaders. “If the European Union took into consideration the ideological features of any of their member’s governments, they would not have 27 of them, with the perspective of getting to 30 in 2010”, he compares.

The deputy considers that it is necessary to see, in economic, political, social, cultural and humanitarian perspectives, what Mercosul will benefit with the joining of a country. He assesses that the entrance of Venezuela will be very profitable to Brazil and to Mercosul.

Postponed decision
The review of the Adhesion Protocol of Venezuela to Mercosul by the Brazilian Representation should happen next week. The discussion on the matter should have been held on the last 4th, but was postponed because several congresspeople asked to review the opinion of the Deputy Dr. Rosinha, which was favorable to the entrance of that country in the economic bloc.

The Deputy Cláudio Diaz (PSDB-RS), the first to ask to review the document, alleged that the party wanted more time to study the matter. “Why will Brazilian Parliament be conditioned to other interests, of other countries? We are up-to-date with the regimental deadlines. We know that this proportionality can be voted until the 18th, so, we are only being cautious”, he affirmed.

The deputy showed contrariety regarding the position of Uruguay and Paraguay, who are imposing Venezuela’s joining as a condition to adopt the criterion on the number of representatives in Mercosul Parliament (Parlasul), according to the population of each member-state.

Protocol
The Adhesion Protocol of Venezuela in Mercosul was signed in Caracas, in July 2006, by the Presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and by the Venezuelan government.

The document has already been confirmed by the congresspeople of Argentina, of Uruguay and of Venezuela itself. In Brazil, the matter has already been voted at the Chamber of Deputies and needs now the approval of the Senate.

From the newsroom/NN
Translation – Positive Idiomas Ltda