Mercosur summons its ambassadors from European countries.

Monica Yanakiew
Correspondent for Agência Brasil/EBC
Montevideo – The 45th Mercosur Summit ended yesterday (12) with the accession of a new member, Bolivia, and three harsh statements: all of them political and related to the espionage scandal, triggered by the revelations of Edward Snowden, a former employee of a company that provided services to the United States National Security Agency (NSA).

Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Bolivia have recalled their ambassadors to the four European countries that banned Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane from flying over their territories on July 2nd. There was an unfounded suspicion that Snowden was aboard the presidential plane.

The American, who has been in the transit sector of Moscow's International Airport for almost three weeks, is wanted by US authorities since he revealed to the press that the US government monitors phone calls and emails of ordinary citizens, companies, and public officials from various countries – including the United States itself. When Evo Morales visited Russia, rumors surfaced that he was transporting Snowden to Bolivia. Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France prohibited the president's plane from flying over their territories, forcing him to make an unscheduled landing in Austria, where he remained for 13 hours.

“Even if he [Snowden] was on the plane, this couldn’t be done. Violating international treaties has never been done before in peacetime,” said President Dilma Rousseff in a press interview after meeting with the presidents of Mercosur.

Summoning ambassadors "for consultations," in diplomatic parlance, is a way of expressing deep unease. The presidents of Mercosur also requested explanations from the European ambassadors in their countries, in addition to demanding public apologies.

Snowden's revelations prompted another strong statement, which not only condemns acts of espionage but also calls on the United Nations to adopt rules to prevent one country from violating the sovereignty of another and the privacy of its citizens. "There needs to be a discussion about security," Dilma said in the interview. "I am strongly in favor of and defend tooth and nail social media as achievements for freedom of expression and the democratization of all positions. The State cannot use this to be the big brother that monitors everything, sees everything, and inhibits people," she said.

According to Dilma, the argument that it is necessary to monitor other people's lives to combat crime and terrorism is "unacceptable" and incompatible with democratic guarantees. The presidents of Mercosur also defended a country's right to grant asylum. This position was a response to pressure exerted by the United States on countries that offered political asylum to Snowden – among them, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner recalled that political asylum saved many persecuted by Latin American military dictatorships. "When we talk about these resolutions, we know what we are talking about because we have lived through tragic and bloody histories," Kirchner said in her speech.

United in their international action, the Mercosur countries have yet to resolve an internal problem: the reinstatement of Paraguay, one of the four founding members, along with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The country was suspended a year ago after the removal of then-President Fernando Lugo. The lightning-fast impeachment was criticized by the governments of the region, which suspended Paraguay from Mercosur until the inauguration of the president-elect, Horacio Cartes, on August 15th.

“We all committed to attending Cartes’ inauguration,” said Dilma. The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro – who as of yesterday (11) assumed the pro tempore presidency of Mercosur – declared in his speech that he wants to resolve any misunderstanding with the Paraguayans. But he was considered “persona non grata” by the Paraguayan Congress, which accuses him of interfering in the country’s internal affairs during Lugo’s impeachment process.

Cartes, despite saying that Paraguay is interested in returning to Mercosur, does not accept Venezuela holding the pro tempore presidency of the bloc. Paraguayan public opinion and the Colorado Party, to which Cartes belongs, consider that they were punished unjustly, since the Paraguayan Constitution provides for the impeachment of a president.

Mercosul

"Our critics forget that, since the beginning of the 1990s, our trade has multiplied more than 12 times," said the president. "I am certain that we must value Mercosur, because in times of both expansion and crisis, Mercosur is the best path for strengthening our countries, for developing our economies, and for affirming the citizenship of our countries," stated Dilma.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota announced that Guyana and Suriname will become associate states of Mercosur, along with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The full members of the bloc are Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Paraguay is temporarily suspended but is expected to regain full membership status in August, with the inauguration of President-elect Horacio Cartes.

"I want to welcome the fact that Mercosur is going through an important moment of expanding its scope," highlighted the Brazilian president. "The effective entry of Venezuela into the bloc, in addition to bringing economic gains and economies of scale, reinforces the political and strategic dimensions of the bloc," she added. "All South American countries are now participating, in one way or another, in Mercosur. However, we have an important task to accomplish. And here I am referring to the return of Paraguay, a founding member of Mercosur," she said. "Paraguay and the Paraguayan people are essential parts of Mercosur's destiny. We want them back," she concluded.