Editing Andean Community (section)

== Relationship with other organizations ==
{{Update|date=June 2022}}
{{Supranational American bodies|size=400px|align=right}}

The Andean Community and [[Mercosur]] comprise the two main trading blocs of South America. In 1999, these organizations began negotiating a merger with a view to creating a "[[South American Free Trade Area]]" (SAFTA). On 8 December 2004, the Andean Community (CAN) signed a cooperation agreement with Mercosur and they published a joint letter of intention for future negotiations towards integrating all of South America in a [[Union of South American Nations]] (USAN), patterned after the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Andean Community-MERCOSUR |url=http://www.sice.oas.org/tpd/AND_MER/AND_MER_e.asp |website=SICE Foreign Trade Information System |publisher=The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States |access-date=May 6, 2024|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208150156/http://www.sice.oas.org/tpd/AND_MER/AND_MER_e.asp |archive-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref>

During 2005, Venezuela decided to join Mercosur. Venezuela's official position first appeared to be that, by joining Mercosur, further steps could be taken towards integrating both trade blocs.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}} CAN Secretary General [[Allan Wagner]] stated that the Venezuelan Foreign Minister [[Alí Rodríguez]] had declared that Venezuela did not intend to leave the CAN, and its simultaneous membership to both blocs marked the beginning of their integration.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eluniversal.com/2005/12/08/msur_ava_08A642103.shtml |title= Secretario general de la CAN: Es positivo el ingreso de Venezuela al Mercosur |publisher=The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States|language=es|access-date=December 8, 2005|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311041215/https://www.eluniversal.com/2005/12/08/msur_ava_08A642103.shtml |archive-date=March 11, 2008}}</ref>

However some analysts interpreted that Venezuela might eventually leave the CAN in the process.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prada |first=Paulo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/business/worldbusiness/08trade.html |title=South American Trade Bloc Moves to Admit Venezuela |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=8 December 2005 |access-date=2008-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119193033/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/business/worldbusiness/08trade.html |archive-date=19 January 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> As Colombia and Peru signed free trade agreements with the United States, in protest the Venezuelan President [[Hugo Chávez]] indeed announced in April 2006 his country's withdrawal from the CAN, stating that the Community is "dead".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=akFZvMSnew8s |title= Venezuela to Withdraw From Andean Free Trade Group|department=Latin America |work=[[Bloomberg.com]] |date=2006-04-19 |access-date=2008-12-24}}</ref> Officials in Colombia and Peru expressed their disagreement with this view, as did representatives from Venezuela's industrial sector (Conindustria).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/2006/04/20/eco_ava_20A695825.shtml |title= Conindustria: "Inevitable" y negativa salida de Venezuela de la CAN |language=es|publisher=Eluniversal.com |date=2006-04-20 |access-date=2008-12-24}}</ref>

In spite of this announcement, Venezuela still had not formally completed all the necessary withdrawal procedures. According to Venezuela's Commerce Minister [[María Cristina Iglesias]], the entire process was going to take up five years. Until then, Venezuela and its partners would remain bound by the effects of the community's preexisting commercial agreements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/2006/04/22/eco_ava_22A697119.shtml |title= Secretario general de la CAN espera que convoquen cita sobre Venezuela|language=es|publisher=Eluniversal.com |date=2006-04-22 |access-date=2008-12-24}}</ref>

[[File:Aguas territoriales Comunidad andina.svg|thumb|right|[[Exclusive Economic Zones]] of the member states of the Andean Community. Considering them, the total area of the Andean Community is 6 573 757 km<sup>2</sup>.]]

During a visit to Colombia in August 2007, President Hugo Chávez was asked by the presidents of Ecuador and Bolivia to rejoin the Andean Community, and he responded that he would agree.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}} Meanwhile, at that time the Mercosur's relations with Venezuela were weakening as Mercosur was not agreeing with some of the Hugo Chávez's proposals.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-3702910 |title=Vocero de las Farc se reunirá en Venezuela con Hugo Chávez para hablar sobre acuerdo humanitario |publisher=Eltiempo.com |date=2007-08-31 |access-date=2008-12-24}}</ref>

Eventually Venezuela achieved the full membership of the Mercosur in 2012, making the Mercosur bigger in number of members than the CAN for the first time.

In addition to CAN, Bolivia is also a member of the [[WTO]], [[UNASUR]], and [[ALBA]]. Its attitude is considered crucial to relations between UNASUR and ALBA specifically, says Marion Hörmann, since Bolivia is traditionally seen as a mediator between the Andean countries and the rest of South America.<ref>Marion Hörmann, "[http://www.inwent.org/ez/articles/168821/index.en.shtml Key Role for Bolivia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927084954/http://www.inwent.org/ez/articles/168821/index.en.shtml |date=2011-09-27 }}" D+C Development and Cooperation, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2010/03, 103–105.</ref>

Furthermore, on 7 December 2012, the Bolivian nation was accepted by the Mercosur countries to start the incorporation protocols to achieve the Mercosur full membership in a matter of 4 years,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.mercopress.com/2012/12/08/bolivia-signs-mercosur-incorporation-protocol-and-becomes-sixth-member|title=Bolivia signs Mercosur incorporation protocol and becomes sixth member}}</ref> receiving the proclamation of an ''accessing member'', and further consolidating itself as a strategic geopolitical nation.