Luis Lacalle Pou ratified his position to sign extra Mercosur agreements and Jair Bolsonaro supported him

Natasha Niebieskikwiat

07/08/2021 1:26 PM

• Clarín.com

• Economy

Updated 07/08/2021 1:39 PM

In a decision that foreign officials consulted considered

"very controversial"

, the Argentine government decided

not to transmit the speeches

of Jair Bolsonaro, Mario Abdo Benítez and Luis Lacalle Pou this Thursday in their speeches before the Mercosur summit.

Only President Alberto Fernández could be seen

speaking to his regional partners at the inauguration of the presidential summit on Thursday.

There he said that "no one is saved alone" and advocated decisions by consensus, but ratifying his

position against speeding up trade agreements

and

easing the tariffs

of one of the most closed blocs in the world.

But from the speeches that they did transmit in their respective countries - Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -

Bolsonaro

is clearly seen

supporting Lacalle Pou in his intention to start signing extra-zone trade agreements

.

The Uruguayan president in turn

He ratified the surprise announcement on Wednesday after the foreign ministers' meeting.

Lacalle said, on the one hand, that his country has a "vocation for integration", but at the same time he ratified that "Uruguay intends to advance with other countries and

that does not mean violating the idea of ​​consensus."

The "violent" thing recalls Fernández's accusation when the Uruguayan complained that Mercosur should not be a "corset" for its members.

Alberto considered him "aggressive" and "untempered".

Lacalle Pou introduced this Thursday a claim issue that also promises ridiculousness with Kirchnerism.

He asked to start working together with

the future of the Paraguay Paraná waterway

 - one of which runs through Brazil and Uruguay - at a time when, under pressure from La Cámpora, the Government nationalized its control.

Bolsonaro, meanwhile, assured: "We cannot let Mercosur continue to be

a synonym of inefficiency and waste of opportunities."

Furthermore, the Brazilian emphatically said that

"unfortunately there were no face-to-face meetings

,

"

with a clear message to the Argentine president who, arguing the existence of a pandemic, called meetings only by zoom.

Bolsonaro, who has just taken over the presidency of Mercosur, which Argentina held until Thursday, was emphatic in the idea of ​​working for the

"modernization" of Mercosur

, in terms of its "flexibility" so that agreements can be signed. of free trade with third countries and regarding the reduction of the common external tariff.

"Brazil is not going to stop in its efforts to modernize its own economy and Mercosur and

wants its integration partners to accompany it

in the ideals of openness, democracy and freedom," said the Brazilian.

Brazil and Argentina had been talking

about the possibility of agreeing to lower the tariff, but Argentina opposed it.

For his part, Abdo Benitez maintained an intermediate position.

During his speech, the President of Paraguay advocated the maintenance of the "founding principles" of Mercosur,

with a "coordinated" external relationship

and, if possible, with more "dynamic" measures.

Due to an internal decision,

the Mercosur countries cannot sign trade agreements outside the bloc

without prior consensus with their partners.

On Wednesday there were reproaches for Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for the way in which he announced his extra-zone agreements.

But this Thursday, high diplomatic sources told

Clarín

that Itamaraty and the Orientals are

"very synchronized."

Look also

Uruguay announced that it will begin to negotiate trade agreements outside Mercosur

Mercosur Summit: with a harsh message against Uruguay, Alberto Fernández assured that "no one is saved alone"