Press Review of the Americas

In the News: Mercosur exposes its divisions

Uruguayan Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Julio Arriola and Bolivian Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta pose for a family photo after the inauguration of the Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR and Associated States in Puerto Iguazú, in Argentina, on 3 July 2023. AFP - NELSON ALMEIDA

Text by: Aabla Jounaïdi Follow

Advertising

Read more

The South American economic body could not agree on the return or not of Venezuela to its ranks, at the summit held in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. "The differences stand out: the president of Paraguay joining his counterpart of Uruguay to condemn the disqualification of the Venezuelan opponent Maria Corina Machado in the presidential race," summarizes the newspaper El País. A sign of divisions, the final communiqué was signed by only three out of four countries, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, the daily continues. "For the fourth time, Uruguay, this dissonant voice of Mercosur refuses to sign a final communiqué," summarizes the Brazilian newspaper O Globo. But Venezuela is not the only bone of contention. "Lacalle Pou justifies this refusal by the fact that his country loses markets, trade discussions not progressing fast enough with external partners, including the European Union," says the Brazilian daily. Montevideo tried to negotiate alone with China, but without success. "Lacalle Pou's speech does not diverge from the previous ones," El Pais recalls. "For Uruguay, Mercosur is imperfect because it does not open up to the world," said the Uruguayan daily El Observador.

Apples of discord

What enrages Montevideo is the slow pace of negotiations with the European Union for a free trade agreement. The Uruguayan president directly challenged his Brazilian counterpart Lula, who on Tuesday took over the leadership of the bloc for six months. He asked him to "generate some optimism" about the draft agreement. Lula recently fired a red ball against European environmental demands. For the columnist of the newspaper O Globo, Elio Gaspari, the European measures that provide for a boycott of cereals and meats from the Amazon in 2024 were known for a long time, but President Lula is guilty of having let things drag on; "Preferring the tribune to the negotiating table, which will only aggravate the antagonisms later," denounces the editorialist.

Violence against elected officials

In Colombia, this evening midnight, the shooting should stop between the army and the ELN guerrillas. That is one month before the entry into force provided for by the agreement signed between them on June 9, says the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. "Once the government has given the order in turn, the ELN and Bogota will have until August 3 to set up a verification mechanism under the auspices of the UN that will ensure the implementation of the agreement." Not enough to trumpet according to the daily because the announcement comes at a time when one of the leaders of a dissidence of the ELN, "Gerson" of his nickname, decreed a "paro armado" in the department of Choco. In other words, the cessation of activities - including transport and commerce - at gunpoint and for an indefinite period. "The group is protesting against the incursion of a rival clan into its territory with, according to him, the help of the army," El Tiempo said. In short, Colombia is not done with violence. The right-wing magazine Semana recalls the fate of these twelve mayors deprived of access to their city because of the threat of armed groups. As regional elections approach in October, 55% of victims of armed violence since January are elected officials, the weekly points out. The "Gulf Clan", one of the most powerful armed groups in the country, "ransoms candidates to allow them to campaign", denounces one of the governors quoted in the media.

Haiti, insured for the hurricane season...

In Haiti, the State renewed its coverage in the event of natural disasters. An insurance policy that will cost $ 10 million learned the Nouvelliste. "The Treasury will provide seven million dollars and the Caribbean Bank [development] the remaining three million dollars," details the newspaper which recalls that this is done a month after the beginning of the hurricane season. "At the beginning of June, the country experienced floods that caused about fifty deaths and significant damage," especially in Léogane. Not to mention the earthquakes at Grand' Anse. And "with global warming, experts fear larger cyclones," the daily recalled.

... but eliminated from the Gold Cup.

And in the Nouvelliste again, the explanations of the coach of the national football team Gabriel Calderón Pellegrino, defeat against Honduras in the Gold Cup. Eliminated in the group stage, the team carried by the enthusiasm of the public had "every chance to qualify for the quarter-finals," says the newspaper. Alor, what happened? "The Spanish-Argentine technician appointed by interim, emphasizes the lack of working time with the team," reports the daily. But the coach also pointed out that "no one was above the team, nor above the country", a veiled reference to certain players and personalities evolving around the field, believe the newspaper. For the journalist of the Nouvelliste Frantz Duval, it is an opportunity to "clarify the status of the coach", to "replace him or give him a real mandate". But above all "we must not be discouraged by the elimination of the Haitian selection: because there are the matches of yesterday and especially those, even more numerous, of tomorrow," insists the editorialist. Starting with the League of Nations which starts in September.

NewsletterReceive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Share:

Read on on the same topics:

• Press Review of the Americas
• Press review
• MERCOSUR
• Argentina
• Venezuela
• Colombia
• Haiti