MercoPress, 07/30/2012
The panel was made up of former ambassador in Washington Rubens Barbosa (1999/2004); Luiz Felipe Lampreia, Foreign Relations minister, (1995/2001) and Antonio Jose Ferreira Simoes, currently Under Secretary for South American affairs at the Itamaraty palace.
Ferreira Simoes started by arguing that nothing of what is established in the Mercosur Ushuaia II protocol (referred to democratic governance) was implemented, “What was applied was something much simpler, that is the suspension of Paraguay”.
He also discarded that the suspension was the result of pressure from Argentine president Cristina Fernandez, “That is not true. Two decisions were taken in Mendoza: the first to suspend Paraguay was adopted before the summit meeting in a ‘virtual’ decision. All was done according to norms and ratified by the governments. Second, why so fast?, simply because in these cases there is no space for anti-democratic adventures in the region”.
