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Venezuela closer to Mercosur
than Andean Community: Chavez
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez
said on Sunday that his country
has more in common with Mercosur
than the Andean Community.
Speaking on his weekly
television and radio show "Hello
President," Chavez said Mercosur,
a trade block from the southern
part of south America, formed an
"axis of South American
liberation."
Saying that the Free Trade Area
of the Americas (FTAA) would
help big US corporations at the
expense of poor nations, the
president criticized US farm
subsidies and other measures as
"protectionism."
Venezuela and Mercosur, which is
made up of Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay and Uruguay, together
opposed a US-backed project of
FTAAat the Organization of
American States summit in
Argentina early this month.
The Andean Community, in which
Venezuela is a full member,
offered support for Washington.
The block comprises Peru,
Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Venezuela is an associate member
of Mercosur and has said it
wants to be a full member.
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