Senator Jose Agripino, another opponent to host Venezuela, recalled that Mercosur has signed a free trade agreement with Israel, a country with which Chavez has severed ties. “What will happen to Israel, what will happen to the trade negotiations that Mercosur is poised to return with the European Union (EU) if they accept someone like Chavez, consider the free trade one form of capitalist oppression? “raised Agripino of Democrats. “Vote by vote for the income is no rule of law. Chavez grievances of the terrorist Carlos the Jackal, nationalized hotels, closed opposition media. Not ready to join Mercosur, “said Senator Alvaro Dias, of the PSDB of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. But even government allies were critical of the Chavez administration: “I vote for the entry of Venezuela into Mercosur, because voting is so good for my state, I will not vote for Hugo Chavez, he is morible, one day die, “said Sen.
centrist Wellington Salgado. For its part, the head of the ruling bloc in the Senate, Romero Juca, the Party of Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB), the main ally Workers’ Party, said that “Venezuela is good for America, for the integration process. And it is better to Venezuela, to improve its transparency, so that we have more mechanisms to demand more democracy and respect for human rights Nos. Before this step taken by Brazil. Minister Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, said Chavez’s government is willing to wait “with patience and optimism,” the conclusion of the “formal steps.” According to Maduro, “who sees the close political relations and confidence that Venezuela is today Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, or the deep economic relationship, integration through concrete projects can not doubt” that his country “is already part of Mercosur.