Mercosur urges end to violence in Venezuela's 'humanitarian crisis'

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet, Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez, Brazil's President Michel Temer, Mendoza's Governor Alfredo Cornejo, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes and Bolivia's President Evo Morales (front row, L-R) alongside Peru's Ambassador to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Luis Quesada, Colombia's Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Maria Claudia Lacouture, Guyana's Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge, Ecuador's head of the delegation Diego Rivadeneira Espinoza and Mexico's Ambassador in Argentina Mabel Gomez Oliver (L-R) pose for the official photo at the Mercosur trade bloc summit in Mendoza, Argentina July 21, 2017. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

MENDOZA, Argentina (Reuters) - The members of South America's Mercosur trade bloc called for an end to violence in Venezuela in a joint statement on Friday, while Brazil and Argentina expressed wariness about following the United States in preparing possible economic sanctions.

Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay again called on Venezuela to release political prisoners and offered to facilitate talks between President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government and the opposition in the statement, issued as the nations met in Mendoza, Argentina to discuss trade and regional integration.