Venezuela’s Expulsion From Mercosur to Create Dangerous Precedent

Venezuelan politician from the Bloque de la Patria party Yul Jabour said that no country in the whole bloc was fully abiding the established rules, calling attempts to exclude Venezuela from Mercosur "an international crime," aimed at diminishing role of regional organizations.

The decision of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to exclude Venezuela from Mercosur Latin American regional economic bloc may create a "dangerous precedent," Venezuelan politician from the Bloque de la Patria party Yul Jabour told Sputnik on Friday.

On Thursday, reports emerged that Venezuela was likely to be suspended from the Mercosur due to its failure to fulfill economic, human rights and immigration requirements.

A source in the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry told Sputnik that the final decision on Venezuela’s membership in the bloc would be announced on Friday.

"It will create a dangerous precedent, should Venezuela be excluded from the process of integration of our peoples," Jabour said. According to Jabour, the stability of the bloc would be endangered if Mercosur adhered to the policy of excluding countries from the organization due to violation of its agreements. He stressed that no country in the whole bloc was fully abiding the established rules, calling attempts to exclude Venezuela from Mercosur "an international crime," aimed at diminishing role of regional organizations. "Since joining the bloc in 2012, Venezuela made significant proportional changes in order to comply with [Mercosur] rules," Jabour said.

He pointed out no documents were envisaging introduction of sanctions on a country, not fully abiding organization’s rules, as well no document was establishing a three-months period for bringing such country into compliance with the rules, referring to the deadline set out by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay for Venezuela.

Earlier this year, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay of uniting against Caracas on the Mercosur presidency transfer issue. Mercosur presidency for this half of the year was supposed to be transferred to Venezuela.

However, there have been concerns over growing discord in Venezuela amid a political standoff between Maduro and the opposition-dominated parliament. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay eventually decided to temporarily share the presidency of the bloc.

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