Marcos Chagas
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Venezuela will become an official member of the Mercosur tomorrow (4), when its adhesion will be formalized at a meeting in Caracas with the participation of the presidents of the four member countries: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. With the addition of Venezuela, the bloc will contain 250 million inhabitants, 12.7 million square kilometers, and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$ 1 trillion, 76% of the South American total.

These data, provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations, suggest that Venezuela is essential to the consolidation of the South American common market, according to the director of the Brazilian Institute of International Relations at the University of Brasília (UnB), José Flávio Sombra Saraiva. "Venezuela is the third largest market in South America; it is important as a producer and consumer market. This will expand its capacity and presence in the process of South American integration."

The professor regards Venezuela's adhesion as crucial in view the country's force as an energy producer. At the upcoming G-8 meeting in Russia this month, the central topic will be the global energy crisis, he says. "The wars that threaten contemporary international society are over natural resources. There are limits to the abuse of energy sources. This is a special strategic dimension that South America needs to consider."

Saraiva acknowledges that, in the short run, president Hugo Chavez' controversial personality may pose difficulties in the relationship between Venezuela and the Mercosur countries. But he thinks that Venezuela's participation in the integration process "is important, with or without Chavez."

Translation: David Silberstein