Marcos Chagas
Special Report

Caracas (Venezuela) – Speaking at the ceremony marking the official entrance of Venezuela into Mercosur, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the event a historic act ("ato histórico"), a concrete example of South American integration. "What we have here is much more than an economic or commercial agreement. This is a historical step in the integration of the continent. We have to learn to live with each other's problems and the asymmetrics in our relations," said Lula.

The ceremony was attended by presidents Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, Nestor Kirchner, of Argentina, Nicanor Duarte, of Paraguay, and Tabaré Váquez, of Uruguay.

Translation: Allen Bennett