Mercosur bid: Chavez slams US

The United States is undermining Venezuela's bid to enter the South American trade bloc Mercosur, President Hugo Chavez has said.

Chavez complained on Sunday that lawmakers in Brazil and Paraguay have unnecessarily delayed a vote to ratify Venezuela as a member of Mercosur even after the leaders of those countries - along with the legislatures in Argentina and Uruguay - already signed off on it.

He praised Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentine President Nestor Kirchner for urging the quick approval of Venezuela's membership, saying they had defied US pressure aimed at isolating Venezuela.

''Why can't Venezuela enter Mercosur? The order comes from Washington,'' said Chavez, speaking during his weekly television and radio programme Hello President.

The Venezuelan leader, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, sees Mercosur as a way for South American nations to unite against US economic and political influence in the region.

Chavez backtracked on his recent warning that Venezuela could withdraw its bid to enter the trade bloc if Brazilian and Paraguayan lawmakers fail to approve Venezuela's entry before September.

''I didn't give anybody an ultimatum,'' he said. ''I only said that more than a year has passed and there is no answer, that we have our schedule.''

Chavez also said he plans to leave on Monday on a tour of Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Since taking office in 1999, Chavez has forged strong ties with Latin American countries while distancing Venezuela from the United States.