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CARACAS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government on Monday called for a negotiated solution to the dispute about its membership in the South American trade bloc Mercosur, in which it is the newest member.
The other four Mercosur members, namely, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, agreed on Friday to suspend Venezuela for allegedly failing to comply with the bloc's regulations.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez posted a letter on Twitter, requesting talks to resolve the dispute.
According to the Venezuelan diplomat, Venezuela has complied with 95 percent of Mercosur's stipulations and will continue to occupy the bloc's rotating presidency.
The proposed talks would be held in Uruguay's capital Montevideo, where Mercosur is headquartered.
"Venezuela, as a member state, called for the start of the mechanism to resolve Mercosur disputes in Montevideo," Rodriguez wrote.
Venezuela joined the bloc in 2012, and claimed that it took over the rotating presidency of Mercosur on July 30, 2016 from Uruguay. But Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay refused to recognize Caracas' presidency, saying the country's political and economic woes prevented it from playing an effective role.
