On July 16-17, during the 54th Mercosur summit held in the province of Santa Fe in Argentina, the bloc’s member countries issued a communiqué regarding the situation in Venezuela. The document contains no explicit references to the crisis in the South American country due to Uruguay’s opposition to an initial draft that condemned the government of Nicolás Maduro and supported the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó. This draft had been signed by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

The presidential declaration reaffirms the commitment to consolidate democracy in the region, underpinned by respect for human rights and the holding of free elections. It also stresses the importance of respect for the rule of law and pluralism of political parties.