Brazil: Lula and opposition differ on Venezuelan entry into Mercosur

On Tuesday, Venezuela officially became the fifth member of the Mercosur trading block and received mixed reactions from politicians of Mercosur countries. In the case of Brazil, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (image, along with other presidents including Hugo Chavez) celebrated Venezuela’s entry into Mercosur by calling it a “historic step in the integration of the continent.” On the other hand, leading opposition candidate Geraldo Ackmin denounced Lula’s “ideological and political interests before the national interest.”

In the meantime, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is in St. Kitts for a summit of Caricom where, amongst other topics, he will make the case for Venezuela to be given a seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mercosur, international economy, Venezuela, hugo chavez, caribbean