Argentina’s Macri says will seek Venezuela suspension from Mercosur

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – Argentina’s President-Elect, Mauricio Macri, said today he would seek Venezuela’s suspension from South America’s Mercosur trade bloc because of accusations of rights abuses committed by President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government.

“It is evident that the bloc’s (democratic) clause should be invoked because the accusations are clear and without doubt, they are not made up,” Macri told reporters.

The democracy clause seeks to punish anti-democratic governments with isolation from the grouping.