In a historic event, Bolivia joined Formally this Friday at Southern Common Market (Mercosur)he block from countries of South America most important. It was done by its president, Luis Arceby enacting a law approved by the Congress of his country.
“The incorporation of Bolivia as a member country of MERCOSUR has a strategic character because it means being part of an important space for regional integration.trade exchange, productive strengthening and makes us a connecting axis in the region,” Arce said on his X account.
With the approved law in hand, the president Luis Arce will participate on Sunday in the Mercosur summit in Paraguay, of which President Javier Milei will not participate. Despite the absence of the Argentine, it is expected that in the match Bolivia’s entry as a full member of the regional bloc is formalizedThe following day, Arce will receive his Brazilian counterpart in the city of Santa Cruz (east), Lula Da Silva.
For its part, the Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa, celebrated this Friday the step taken by Arce. “It is a very historic moment for Bolivia, for the productive sectors and for the Bolivians who live and are part of Mercosur.“, he stressed at a press conference.
“A dream come true of many years” the one that “we can participate in this block(…) the fifth largest economic bloc in the world“, the minister stressed.
Bolivia’s long road to becoming part of Mercosur
The promulgation of the accession law made by Arce was the last step of a long road. First, the five member countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela and Uruguay) of Mercosur They should have approved it in their parliaments the protocol of Bolivia’s accession to the regional bloc. EThe last one was Brazil in 2023. On December 7 of that year, President Lula Da Silva signed the law and handed it over to Bolivia, which had to follow the same procedure.
Quickly, On December 15, 2023, Luis Arce sent the protocol to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. Six months later, On June 14 of this year, it was approved in the House of Representatives and a month later, On July 3, it was the Senate’s turn. Finally, on Friday, the approved law was sent to the Bolivian president, who signed it into law on the same day.
Javier Milei decided not to go to the Mercosur Summit to avoid a clash with Lula da Silva
Looking ahead to the Mercosur Summit, which will take place on July 8 in Assumption, President Javier Milei finally decided not to attend the event. One of the reasons for his absence, he argued, was the clash he had with his Brazilian counterpart, Lula da Silva, whom he called “corrupt” and “communist.”
The Mercosur summit will be held in the Port of Asunción and will have a series of activities that will run from Thursday 4 to Monday 8 July, when Paraguay will hand over the Pro Tempore presidency to Uruguaywhich is the position held by the countries that comprise it, with a rotating period of six months and in alphabetical order.
On the first day, the XLIII Extraordinary Meeting of the Mercosur Trade Commission (CCM); the following days, July 5 and 6, the LXII Extraordinary Meeting of the Mercosur Common Market Group is scheduled; and on Monday the 8th, the activity culminates with the meeting of Heads of State of Mercosur and Associated States, in the Port of Asunción, one of the most representative of the neighboring country.
Source: Ambito
