Venezuela thanks Brazilian Senate for support concerning Mercosur presidency

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday thanked the Brazilian Senate for its support in Venezuela's quest to be named as rotating president of the Mercosur bloc.

Writing on Twitter, Rodriguez said that "we thank the Brazilian Senate's Foreign Affairs Commission...for its statement on the legality of the Venezuelan rotating presidency of Mercosur."

In recent days, Mercosur has been divided, with Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil who all oppose Venezuela, saying the country's economic crisis prevents it from assuming the role. Uruguay, however, supports Venezuela and maintains that the country should be allowed its time as planned.

However, while Brazil's interim president Michel Temer stands against Venezuela, the Senate's foreign affairs commission rejected his position.

"The decision by the interim Brazilian government directly contradicts the main legal instruments of Mercosur. Venezuela is a member state...which is not under any sanctions from the bloc. The stated reasons to not comply with Mercosur's legal norm are fundamentally flawed," said a statement from the Senate.

This week, Venezuela has repeatedly denounced a "boycott" from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. On Friday, it held a ceremony in Caracas where it hoisted the Mercosur flag outside the Foreign Ministry with the government now acting as rotating president, despite the crisis not being resolved.

In its statement, the Brazilian Senate wrote that "Venezuela is also vital for the development of our northern Amazon border and plays a crucial role in the supply of electricity to our northern states." Enditem