Chávez threatens to take all his marbles and go home

...would be a better headline for this story. Chávez says he will withdraw Venezuela’s bid to join Mercosur unless the Brazilian and Paraguayan legislatures approve it by September. Lula says he will meet with Chávez (though did not specify when) and I would imagine in that meeting he will ask him to keep his lips zipped. Lula said he tried to meet with him recently in Paraguay, but Chávez had “other appointments.”

At this point, either Chávez and Lula smooth things over behind the scenes with the Brazilian legislature, or he pulls out entirely. Considering he blew off Lula, he may already have decided on the latter, but we'll have to wait and see.