This year has been difficult for Venezuela, and it may soon become more difficult. On Aug. 5, the presidents of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay met on the sidelines of the Summer Olympics' opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro to discuss suspending Venezuela from the Mercosur trade bloc. The three leaders agreed to give Caracas until Aug. 12 to comply with the customs union's requirements for full membership before making their final decision. Venezuela became a member of Mercosur in 2012, but it has yet to meet several of the obligations attached to bloc membership, including a human rights standard and a trade and tariffs requirement. Its failure to comply with these rules has elicited opposition from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, but this did not stop Caracas from temporarily taking control of the bloc last month.