Serra and FHC tried to do in Mercosur what they did in Brazil: buy votes.
In practice, FHC and Serra tried unsuccessfully to do what they had already done triumphantly in 1998 when they bought votes to approve reelection in Congress.
O jornal El País, from Uruguay, brings a report this Tuesday (16) denouncing that the interim Foreign Minister of Brazil, José Serra, tried to buy the neighboring country's vote in Mercosur to suspend Venezuela's presidency in the bloc.
"Uruguay's Foreign Minister accuses Serra of trying to buy the country's vote against Venezuela. Shame!", tweeted Senator Roberto Requião (PMDB-PR), who is president of the Brazilian representation in Parlasur — the Mercosur parliament.
The newspaper obtained stenographic notes from members of parliament that point to the accusation of attempted bribery by the politician from the PSDB party to the Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa.
In exchange, the Brazilian foreign minister proposed taking Uruguay alone into negotiations for Brazilian trade agreements in Africa and Iran.
“We didn’t like that Foreign Minister (José) Serra came to Uruguay to tell us – he said it publicly, that’s why I’m telling you – that he came with the claim that the transfer [of the Mercosur presidency] should be suspended and that, moreover, if it were suspended, they would take us along in their negotiations with other countries, as if trying to buy Uruguay’s vote,” the Uruguayan Foreign Minister reproved.
Serra traveled to Uruguay with former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso with the mission of removing Venezuela from the presidency of Mercosur.
Nin Novoa reiterated, in a meeting with members of parliament, that Uruguay understands that "Venezuela is the legitimate holder of the pro tempore presidency and, therefore, when it calls a meeting, the Uruguayan government will attend." "Uruguay will be present [at Mercosur meetings]. If the others don't go, it will be their responsibility," he added. Paraguay and Argentina are siding with the Temer government against Venezuela.
In practice, FHC and Serra tried unsuccessfully to do what they had already done triumphantly in 1998 when they bought votes to approve reelection in Congress.
* This is an opinion article, the responsibility of the author, and does not reflect the opinion of Brasil 247.