Temer tells Venezuela: Return to Mercosur hinges on return to democracy

South American trade bloc Mercosur has suspended crisis-stricken member Venezuela indefinitely.

Founding Mercosur nations Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay made the decision on Saturday, citing a "rupture in the democratic order" in Venezuela and a breach of the Mercosur membership rules.

The move comes after Mercosur suspended Venezuela in December for not complying with bloc regulations.

The member nations said Venezuela - mired in a deep recession and gripped by civil unrest sparked by factors including rocketing inflation and political maneuvering by President Nicolás Maduro - could not return to the bloc until democracy is restored.

Mercosur's decision comes after Maduro opened the new constituent assembly, which can rewrite the constitution and is seen by critics as a tool to cling on to power. The current national assembly is led by the opposition.

Brazilian President Michel Temer said the four countries hoped Venezuela would "return to democracy" and also to Mercosur.

"Our message is clear: there is no more space for non-democratic alternatives in South America, hence the decision made," Temer said in a video.

Maduro told Argentine media outlet Radio Rebelde that Venezuela would never be ousted from the bloc: "We are Mercosur soul, heart and life. Some pro-coup oligarchies like that of Brazil or wretched ones like that which governs Argentina can try a 1,000 times but we'll always be there."