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CARACAS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Monday rejected accusations that it has not met all its membership obligations in the capacity of part of Mercosur, as alleged by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez stated that "manipulations and illegal falsehoods" were being spread by the "Triple Alliance" (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay).
Venezuela is now holding the rotating presidency of Mercosur -- a sub-regional bloc of which the full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Rodriguez denounced a "boycott" that seeks to stop "the Venezuelan direction of the bloc", and that is "led by the U.S. government.
Finally, Rodriguez said that "not only has Venezuela taken on board a large part of...Mercosur's norms...but as equaled, or in most cases, has also surpassed these parties."
Uruguay's Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa said Monday that he was opposed to the proposal that the presidency of the Mercosur should be held collectively.
He added that Aug. 13 was the deadline for Venezuela to be sworn into its duties and legal norms as a member of Mercosur, including the bloc's human right standards and tariff regulations.
While Caracas has not met these norms, Nin Novoa warned, "there are no sanctions contemplated for those who do not meet these norms. Nobody has predicted this."
