Brasília, December 2, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Mercosur member countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), and associate members, Bolívia and Chile, have released a note expressing confidence in Venezuela's ability to resolve the country's problems through cooperation and dialolgue between the government and the opposition.

"We emphatically support the efforts by the Organization of American States secretary general, Cesar Gaviria, the UN Development Program and the Carter Foundation in setting up the Neogtiating Table to resolve the pollitical problems of Venezuela," says the note. (AB)