Sept 23 (Reuters) – Paraguay’s President Santiago Pena called for Venezuela’s reintegration into the South American trade bloc Mercosur on Wednesday, speaking to world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
Venezuela has been indefinitely suspended as a member of Mercosur, which comprises some of South America’s biggest economies, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Chile’s President Jose Antonio Kast, whose country is an associate member of the bloc, is scheduled to meet with Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Thursday.
In his speech, Pena also said he wants to see Venezuela undergo a genuine and lasting democratic transition.
“We want a transition with strong institutions, security, a thriving economy, and a nation once again integrated into the international community, and specifically, integrated into Mercosur,” he said.
Pena visited Caracas before arriving in New York, reopening dialogue after breaking off diplomatic relations in 2025 over Venezuela’s disputed 2024 election.
Venezuela was suspended from Mercosur in 2017 for failing to comply with the bloc’s rules, and the bloc later hardened its stance after the detention of several opposition figures under ousted President Nicolas Maduro.
While Brazil is open to a gradual reintegration of Venezuela into the bloc, any effort to bring Caracas back into the fold would likely have to be led by Paraguay, according to a source close to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The source said Venezuela’s return would face significant hurdles, as it would need to comply with Mercosur requirements over trade and tariff rules.
SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN
Paraguay is Taiwan’s last remaining diplomatic ally in South America and one of a dwindling number of countries worldwide that maintain formal ties with Taipei.
Pena used his UN address to reaffirm Paraguay’s support at a time when Beijing has ramped up military and political pressure on democratically governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
“I reaffirm here today my support for the full and meaningful participation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Taiwan has concrete contributions to make to peace, development and human rights,” Pena said.
(Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Lucinda Elliott and Rosalba O’Brien)
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