September 30,2016 Source
Dear Editor,
THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has noted with interest attempts by some member states of MERCOSUR to take over the presidency jointly from Venezuela for this coming semester.The four countries — namely Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — in a joint statement, called on Venezuela to speed up ratification of the agreements of the regional mechanism or face the possibility of suspension from the bloc.
The PPP calls on the Guyana Government to state its position on this matter, since Guyana is a member of MERCOSUR. It would appear from the statements released that there are highly coincidental positions taken by certain member states in collaboration with Brazil, who have adopted a more extreme position, threatening the expulsion of Venezuela from MERCOSUR by December 1, 2016.
Such a move would be reminiscent of the expulsion of Cuba from the Organization of American States (OAS) at a meeting of that organization held in 1962 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
It is of interest to note that this concerted action by some member states comes just weeks after the removal of former Brazilian President Ms. Dilma Rousseff in what is seen as a constitutional coup; and similar attempts by the internal and external political forces to remove President Maduro of Venezuela before the constitutionally due date.
Regards,
PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY