Venezuela Seeks Return to MERCOSUR: A Parliamentary Move Amid the EU’s Trade Deal Kickoff With the Bloc

On April 27, Venezuelan lawmakers arrived in Montevideo and formally asked the MERCOSUR parliament to bring the country back into the bloc. A few days earlier, in Brasilia, Brazil’s vice president Geraldo Alckmin told reporters that the bloc could revisit the issue of suspending Venezuela’s membership, calling the situation in the country “another stage.” This was the first public signal from a senior Brazilian official that the topic may be re-examined.

Earlier, Brazil had distanced itself from discussions about Venezuela’s status in MERCOSUR. At the same time, the country steadily increased its contacts with Caracas after the removal of Nicolás Maduro and the appointment in January of Delcy Rodríguez as acting president. Bloomberg reported on Alckmin’s remarks on April 23.

Parlasur Session and Colombia’s Support

Leading the Venezuelan delegation, MP Saul Ortega stressed that the MERCOSUR parliamentary body had not adopted a separate decision on sanctions against Venezuela. In his view, the suspension affected the bloc’s executive institutions: the relevant decision was adopted in 2017. Another delegation member, Francisco Torrealba, said Parlasur would consider the matter of Venezuela’s full return at its next session, scheduled for June in Asunción.

That said, a parliamentary return would not automatically restore Venezuela’s seat in MERCOSUR decision-making bodies. A separate approval among all member states would be required.

Colombia added further momentum. On April 24, President Gustavo Petro traveled to Caracas for what was described as the first meeting of the sitting head of state with Delcy Rodríguez. In a post on X, Petro said Colombia would submit a request to lift the moratorium on Venezuela’s participation in MERCOSUR. The idea was first raised in mid-March, when Petro said that Colombia and Venezuela would seek full membership in the bloc.

During negotiations, Petro and Rodríguez also discussed border security issues along a roughly 2,000-kilometer frontier and cooperation in the energy sector. Topics included restarting the bilateral gas pipeline Antonio Ricaurte. Colombia is also showing interest in Venezuela’s electricity sector amid rising oil production, which is influenced by U.S. support.

How Venezuela Could Re-join Legally

On August 5, 2017, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay suspended Venezuela’s participation in all rights and obligations as a MERCOSUR member state. The move was based on the Protocol of Democratic Commitment (Ushuaia), under which consultations with Caracas—per the wording of the decision—ended “unsuccessfully.”

Under Article 7 of that protocol, the suspension ends when the other member states confirm the “full restoration of the democratic order.” In practice, however, it remains unclear how such a verification should be carried out: the document does not set out a specific procedure. Moreover, confirmation would require the approval of all five current member states, including Bolivia, which completed ratification of full membership status in 2024.

Rodríguez herself had previously served as Maduro’s foreign minister from 2014 to 2017 and participated in the consultation process that led to the suspension. She later became vice president from 2018 to 2025. After a U.S. operation in which Nicolás Maduro was detained in January, Rodríguez moved into the role of acting president.

At the December 2025 MERCOSUR summit in Foz do Iguaçu, President Javier Milei called Maduro a “narco-terrorist” and backed U.S. pressure aimed at “freeing the Venezuelan people.” Along with the presidents of Paraguay and Panama, he issued a joint statement on restoring democracy and releasing political prisoners. However, Brazil’s (Lula) and Uruguay’s (Orsi) leaders did not sign the document.

Argentine media, citing diplomatic sources, note that Buenos Aires’ resistance is driven not only by ideology. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and a potential restart of production with U.S. support—according to sources—raises concerns for Argentina’s authorities and its energy sector. The latter is betting on developing the Vaca Muerta shale formation.

The EU-MERCOSUR Trade Deal Enters Into Force on May 1

The EU–MERCOSUR interim trade agreement (iTA) will begin to be applied on a provisional basis starting May 1. It covers more than 720 million people across 31 countries. Tariff cuts affecting more than 90% of bilateral trade will take effect immediately.

All four current MERCOSUR member states completed their internal ratification procedures by March 2026. Venezuela, remaining in suspended status, is not a party to the deal.

In January, the European Parliament proposed referring the trade deal’s compatibility to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). That move paused the broader ratification process. Since the court’s decision is not expected before the end of 2027, the European Commission continues to operate under the provisional trade arrangement. The agreement applies within the EU’s exclusive competence and does not require ratification by all 27 national parliaments.

What Venezuela’s Return Would Mean for the SSB Mechanism

Venezuela’s membership suspension automatically excluded the country from MERCOSUR’s Residence Agreement—an intergovernmental framework through which citizens of member states can obtain the right to live in other bloc countries, provided they have no criminal convictions. Today, nine countries participate: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.

Bringing Venezuela back would add a tenth state. According to UNHCR estimates, during Maduro’s tenure, 7.9 million Venezuelans left the country. Many of them have already obtained residency or citizenship in other MERCOSUR countries. Restoring participation could strengthen the legal footing of the “mobility corridor” that currently relies largely on temporary bilateral arrangements.

Full return would require the consent of all five member states. Brazil is expected to be open to discussing such a scenario, but Argentina—driven by both ideological and economic reasons—takes a stricter position.

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