Following the steps of right-wing governments from South America, Argentina denounced Friday the Constitutional Treaty of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), thus officially initiating the withdrawal process from the bloc.
The decision from Mauricio Macri’s administration came one day after his counterpart, Paraguayan Mario Abdo decided to take his country off the regional bloc as well. The official communication was addressed to the Republic of Ecuador in its capacity as Depositary nation and a detailed note to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, Diego Pary, as the President Pro Tempore of this regional organization.
The Argentinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained this is due to the institutional “crisis” and “an agenda with high ideological content”, adding that it is a diagnosis shared by several countries in the region such as Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. A rather questionable stance, as all those countries decided to create the right-wing diplomatic group ProSur on March 22, 2019, in accordance with a high ideological content based on free-market and the United States’ interventionist agenda against Venezuela and progressive governments.
Back on March 17, Bolivian Foreign Minister Diego Pary said that Unasur remains active with its members fully engaged, adding that the Cochamba parliament is prepared and has the necessary infrastructure to make it work (the General Secretariat) in Bolivia due to Ecuador’s decision to leave.
However, as in all other cases, Argentina will not defect immediately. In accordance with the provisions of the Treaty, the process will likely be effective by October 2019. At the moment, Uruguay, Venezuela, Suriname, Guayana, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru are still part of the group, even though the three latter nations suspended their participation in April 2018.
This month Bolivia will end its Pro Tempore Presidency and it will be Brazil's turn to head the regional body, which worries many as Bolsonaro's government is one of the most outspoken voices against the organization.