Lubetkin warns Flávio Bolsonaro that “it is not easy to leave Mercosur”
Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin has warned Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro that “it is not easy to leave Mercosur”, in response to his criticism of the bloc during the campaign for the October 25 runoff. In the same interview, with the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, he said Uruguay would not restore diplomatic relations with Venezuela while Delcy Rodríguez governs.
Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin cautioned Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, stating that leaving Mercosur is a challenging task. The warning came during an interview with Folha de S.Paulo newspaper, in response to Bolsonaro's criticism of the bloc during his campaign for the October 25 runoff.
Lubetkin explained that leaving Mercosur would result in significant losses for the Brazilian economy due to the numerous interlinked agreements in the business sphere. Furthermore, he emphasized the complexity of exiting the regional trade agreement and highlighted the numerous mechanisms that would make it difficult to achieve a swift departure from the bloc.
Bolsonaro's government program, registered with the Superior Electoral Court, does not mention Mercosur. On the campaign trail, the senator had spoken about "freeing Brazil from the shackles of Mercosur," a statement some media interpreted as indicating a potential exit from the common market. Uruguay, which has been holding the Mercosur pro tempore presidency since July 1, has committed to working with the elected candidate, urging a clean, transparent, democratic, and calm election process before moving forward.
In a separate interview, Lubetkin ruled out the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations between Uruguay and Venezuela while the current president, Delcy Rodríguez, remains in power. He attributed the potential diplomatic tension to the electoral uncertainty, asserting that Uruguay would consider resuming relations only when an independent court confirms the winner of a democratic election.
Furthermore, Venezuela withdrew its diplomatic staff from Uruguay and six other Latin American countries in July 2024 due to concerns over the elections. Maduro, who has been detained in the United States since January, faces accusations of illegitimacy following his disputed re-election. Rodríguez announced the upcoming elections in September, although no specific date has been set.
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