Asunción, Agencia IP.- Paraguay handed over Mercosur’s Pro Tempore Presidency to Uruguay past Monday, with Uruguay set to hold the position for the second half of 2024. On this occasion, President Santiago Peña affirmed his full support to his counterpart, Luis Lacalle Pou.
Peña wished his Uruguayan counterpart, Luis Lacalle Pou, all the success for the upcoming semester as he begins his term as the pro tempore president of the regional bloc, symbolically passing the gavel that represents Mercosur’s authority.
«Paraguay will support and accompany you fully. We share a rich history; we have always been recognized for the treatment we have received from Uruguay. There are centuries of history between our countries,» expressed President Peña.
He also highlighted Lacalle Pou’s experience and wisdom, noting that he will guide the bloc’s direction until December of this year «with enormous challenges and, above all, great opportunities.»
Upon taking the lead, the President of Uruguay addressed the upcoming general elections in Venezuela. He acknowledged that all member and associate countries have different approaches to the Venezuelan government, with some viewing it as a dictatorship and others not. «But in the interest of helping and collaborating, many countries here can contribute significantly to that electoral process,» he emphasized.
Furthermore, he advocated for the success of whoever should win for the sake of the Venezuelan people while noting that his country generally does not interfere in foreign elections. However, he called for the respect of human rights and, most importantly, electoral rights.
«We can all make an effort to ensure that these are free and democratic elections so that the Venezuelan people can choose who will govern their destiny,» he concluded.