President Luis Lacalle Pou had a harsh speech during his speech at the retreat of the leaders of South America than his Brazilian counterpart, Lula da Silva, summoned in Brasilia as an initial kick for the recomposition of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the reinstatement of Venezuela at the regional diplomatic concert.
“I was surprised when they talked about what is happening in Venezuela. You already know what we think. Now, if there are so many groups in the world trying to mediate so that democracy is full in Venezuela, the worst thing we can do is cover the sun with one finger,” said Lacalle Pou, who broadcast his intervention on his Instagram account since the The Brazilian government only released the opening words of Lula da Silva.
The Uruguayan government’s position regarding what is happening in the Bolivarian country is not new: for the president “it is a dictatorship,” and while Nicolas Maduro continue to be the president, “I’m not going to change my mind”. “What there has to be in Venezuela is democracy. There may be a commercial link,” he had explained at the end of 2022, when a stir was generated by the decision to appoint an ambassador.
This episode was also recalled by the President of the Republic during his speech, mentioning that Uruguay recently appointed an ambassador to Venezuela after seven years of diplomatic absence in that country “because our affinity is with the Venezuelan people and it is not up to us to choose government”.
However, Lacalle Pou clarified that on this occasion he could comment on what is happening in the country governed by Maduro due to the content of the text that the presidents discuss in Brasilia, proposed by Lula da Silva. “I have the possibility of giving an opinion on point 2, which talks about democracy, human rights and protecting institutions. If this point 2 had not existed, I would not have given an opinion,” she clarified.
“When we put the signature, because the idea is to sign this, [sepan que] we do not have the same definition of what institutions and democracy are“, he stressed. “We are going to be judged by our actions and let’s not waste time because, even if we think not, time is running out, life too and, even if we don’t believe it, governments too,” he reflected.
Lula’s dream of integration that does not convince in Uruguay
Lacalle Pou’s speech also made a difference with the idea of relaunching Unasur, the main reason that brought together the 12 South American presidents in the retreat that seeks to give a more intimate imprint to the discussion for regional integration
“Enough of institutions”declared the president, in a position exactly contrary to that of his Brazilian counterpart, who just a couple of hours earlier, at the opening of the event, had indicated that “Unasur is a collective good” for the political, social and economic integration of South America.
Likewise, Lacalle Pou recalled that the country had determined to withdraw from the bloc as soon as the government took office in 2020, and that organizations of these characteristics end up “being ideological clubs and they have life and continuity as long as and for as long as they have matching” with ideologies, for which reason they do not allow long-term policies.
For his part, Lula da Silva had expressed early in the morning, through his Twitter account, that he was sure that the union of the 12 neighboring countries “will be essential so that we can improve the lives of the people of our countries”. However, the Uruguayan government does not share the measures to achieve said union nor does it seem to be very anxious to define a new integration process.
Source: Ambito
