Uruguay admits Venezuela to Mercosur not to punish Paraguay

The Uruguayan government avowed to have let on about Venezuela's full membership with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) as part of "a deal," under which no economic sanctions would be imposed on Paraguay. Therefore, the ultimate word has not been said in this regard.

In a press conference held after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Uruguayan Deputy Chief of Staff Diego Cánepa elaborated on the comments made by Foreign Minister Luis Almagro. Earlier in the morning, Almagro had voiced dissatisfaction with Venezuela's entry into Mercosur under such circumstances. As a result, he requested a deadline for July 31 to enforce its admittance, Efe reported.

As stated by Cánepa, Uruguay ended up granting the move despite not supporting it out of "political circumstances."

Thus, Cánepa said that Uruguayan President José Mujica opted not to veto Venezuela's inclusion even though the Paraguayan Parliament had not approved it, given Venezuela's significance for the Uruguayan trade.