Venezuelan president confirms to attend Mercosur summit

Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-7-28 13:47:45

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has confirmed that he will attend Tuesday's summit of Latin America's largest trade bloc in Brazil.

In an announcement broadcast by both television and radio networks, Chavez said he will travel to Brasilia the day before the Mercosur conference.

The gathering is convened to formalize Venezuela's official entry into the bloc, created in 1991 to promote free trade of goods and services through a common trade policy and other measures in the region.

Mercosur is composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. But Paraguay has been suspended from the group since late June following the controversial impeachment of former President Fernando Lugo by the opposition-controlled Congress.

Paraguay's suspension allows Venezuela's full entry into Mercosur, as it has been the only member blocking Caracas' accession since it first applied in 2006.

Other South American nations, including Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, are associate members.

The summit will also mark Chavez's first official trip abroad since his battle with cancer began last year. He declared on May 11 that he had fully recovered from the disease, which required several trips to Cuba for surgery and radiation therapy treatment.

Posted in: Americas

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