Mercosur, the trade alliance between Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, was officially launched as a free-trade zone in March 1991 but never took off due to the deep imbalances between its member states. This week, a summit in Asunción marred by absences and political tension was further proof of the group’s inability to march in a single direction.
With Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro giving the event a miss, neighbors Argentina and Uruguay were left to bicker over the direction they believe Mercosur should take from here on out.
One of the main tenets of Mercosur’s statute...
