“Moment of truth” for Venezuela's standing in Mercosur

The Venezuela government of president Nicolas Maduro whose democratic credentials are questioned internationally, self proclaimed itself pro tempore president of Mercosur for the second half of the year, but still has yet to incorporate 400 rules and regulations plus 50 accords to be considered a full member of Mercosur and the deadline is Friday, 12 August.

The raft of pending regulations and accords includes the group's Common External Tariff; the Montevideo protocol on Services Trade and the Cooperation and Assistance protocol on Civil, Commercial, Labor and Administrative Law. Likewise the Asunción Protocol on promotion and protection of Human Rights.

The three countries consider that if Venezuela does not comply with those requirements it does not enjoy full membership of Mercosur and thus is not entitled to hold the group's pro tempore rotating chair.

However the Maduro administration argues it is entitled to the rotating chair since it complies with statutory rules and the alphabetical order, after Uruguay turned in the presidency at the end of its six month mandate on 29 July.

http://en.mercopress.com/2016/08/11/moment-of-truth-for-venezuela-s-standing-in-mercosur