During a meeting of Head of States of the Southern Cone Economic Zone (Mercosur), President Chavez has launched a severe attack on immigration policies adopted by the European Union. Mercosur, Chavez insists, cannot remain silent and ignore what is happening. The President has made his criticism of the infamous EU parliament "Return Directive" a main issue at the meeting and has already lobbied several attending presidents in private meetings. Chavez says he would like to leave the meeting with Mercosur providing several answers that would make EU leaders think twice. The President hinted that Venezuela is looking into European investments there and perhaps set up a "return directive" on some European investments as a protest. It is ironical, Chavez comments, that while Europe is closing the doors on migration, South America is opening up, allowing freedom of movement and employment among countries. United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) vice president, General (ret.) Alberto Muller Rojas has reacted to electoral decisions taken by the minority allied party, Patria Para Todos (PPT). Somewhat sarcastically, Muller Rojas comments that the PPT is not the Patriotic Alliance. At the last meeting of the alliance, Muller Rojas recalls, PPT made a commitment to " pursue an associative and cooperative attitude," and he adds that the PSUV national directorate will have to examine whether that has been the case or not. Speaking about the case of expelled State Governor of Guarico, the General says Manuitt has behaved like a "caudillo." Muller Rojas threatens that the party could reopen some cases that Manuitt had closed. As for Manuitt's daughter, Lenny, who has put herself forward as candidate to replace her father with the support of PPT, the General dismissively states that since she has joined another party, Lenny Manuitt automatically is no longer a member of the PSUV.
Southern Cone Economic Zone (Mercosur) Heads of State have agreed that the citizens of their region do not have to present passports when visiting member countries. The measure comes as part of the final document of the meeting held in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina. The following are some of the more important decisions taken:
- The participants have stressed their commitment to promote unrestricted respect for the human rights of all migrants and their families and to set up policies that will contribute towards the process of building consensus globally about the movement of peoples and the protection of their rights within the framework of the international community as a response to the new challenges resulting from an increase in migratory flows.
- The member states have agreed to a set up a database of children and adolescents in a situation of vulnerability to tackle child- trafficking in the region.
- A memorandum of understanding has been agreed upon to create and implement a regional system of accreditation of university careers that will facilitate the mobility of people between member countries.
President Chavez has launched an appeal to his counterparts in Brazil and Argentina to combine the reserves of their countries to create an " axis of growth" in the region. Brazil and Argentina are there great work horses of South America, Chavez points out, and the strengthening and cooperation of the trilateral axis could help the process of integration and development of all countries in the southern hemisphere from the smallest to the biggest. The President says he hopes to combine the potential of Brazil's industrial power, Argentina's agricultural power and Venezuela's energy wealth to boost growth in the region. The three Presidents have agreed to hold trilateral meetings over the next months to elaborate doctrines towards what Chavez calls the new South American Independence. The building of a Venezuelan-Brazilian refinery in the North Eastern Brazil, imports of machinery from Brazil and the training of more than a thousand Venezuelan agricultural producers in Argentina form part of the complementary initiative.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
vheadline@gmail.com
Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.
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