Chavez accuses U.S. of
impeding Venezuela's
Mercosur entry
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez accused the
United States in a
Wednesday speech of
undermining his
country's entry into the
Common Market of the
South (Mercosur).
Venezuela signed an
agreement to join
Mercosur over a year
ago, but its entry has
not been ratified by
Brazil and Paraguay.
"I'm sure these
difficulties are the
product of the empire's
actions," said Chavez.
He accused the U.S. of
campaigning to discredit
Venezuela, saying, "U.S.
lawyers buy people. They
pay well. They have
newspapers and
television stations.
They try to confuse
people, blackmail them
and spread fear," Chavez
said.
However, he said that
the four existing full
Mercosur members --
Argentina, Brazil,
Uruguay and Paraguay --
were aware of U.S.
actions and were working
to smooth Venezuela's
entry to the body.
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