Érica Santana
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Yesterday, during a ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela officially joined Mercosul.

According to the president of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner, his country has an important strategic alliance with Venezuela and sees its membership in Mercosur "As a qualitative step in projecting the region on the world stage and integrating it... we are responding to the expectations of our people with this event." Kirchner called the moment "historical" and said it would strengthen the position of Mercosur in its dealing with the rest of the world, "the European Union, Africa and Asia."

Translation: Allen Bennett