EL UNIVERSAL

Venezuela Tuesday formally became the fifth member country of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), during an event at Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas, where the presidents of the regional bloc initialed an adhesion protocol.

Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva (Brazil), Néstor Kirchner (Argentina), Nicanor Duarte (Paraguay) and Tabaré Vázquez (Uruguay) signed the instrument together with Venezuelan ruler Hugo Chávez.

The bloc now comprises more than 250 million people and stretches over 13 million square kilometers, with Gross Domestic Product at USD 1 trillion, said Lula Da Silva.

Mercosur Secretary-General Carlos Alvarez read the adhesion protocol stating that Venezuela will have to adopt Mercosur "common nomenclature" and "common tariff" in four years at the latest.

He added that the five-country free trade zone is to become effective in 2010-2013, depending on each country. The shortest deadlines will be applied to Brazil and Argentina, and the longest to Paraguay and Uruguay. For the so-called "sensitive items," the free trade zone will enter into force as of 2014.

Kirchner, who is holding Mercosur temporary presidency, said integration is the major enterprise of the present time. "It is increasingly common to see how the problems facing our people trespass the borders. Individual States, regardless their rulers' goodwill, cannot reach any solutions."

"We need to build the people's Mercosur, the citizens' Mercosur. Persons have to play the major role in this endeavor. Let us pray to God for this to become an inflection point allowing us to move forward with greater force, with a clear strategic vision, and for us to be capable of making the voice of Latin American peoples resound loudly again around the world."

Meanwhile, Lula said "this protocol, rather than a document ensuring fairer trade or allowing our businesspeople to make business, is the materialization of a dream of several million Latin American people who died believing that a more united region was possible."

Lula pointed at the internal problems facing the bloc, and indicated that "even in the hardest moments we can call talk to each other over the phone, because sometimes one minute of intrigue may take one year to solve."

"We are not afraid of divergences, but of the exclusion that has prevailed in our continent for many centuries."

Nicanor Duarte, in the most heart-felt speech of the event, said Latin America needs a more powerful, clearer and stronger voice. "I am sure the Venezuelan move -because of the historic moment it is going through and under the leadership of President Chávez- will be a powerful amplifier for our voice to resound and convince the most powerful countries."

Tabaré Vásquez stressed internal conflicts. "They are the result of life. The challenge here, when there is respect, tolerance, and love, is to find consensus. Solitude has no destiny. We have to work hard not to doom our people to other one hundred years of solitude."

Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was present in the event as an associate member of Mercosur, seized the opportunity to invite his colleagues to the opening session of the Bolivian Constituent Assembly next August 6th.

Chávez closed the event by saying that because of Venezuela entry into Mercosur, besides other benefits, the southern bloc "now shares borders with France and the United States, thanks to our (Venezuelan) Caribbean Sea; it has the world's largest oil reserves. And on top of that, it has samba, (Venezuelan typical dance) joropo and tango."

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.