{"id":99118,"date":"2026-01-17T16:00:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T00:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/?p=99118"},"modified":"2026-01-22T22:49:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T06:49:08","slug":"mercosur-deal-a-step-in-the-rise-of-the-end-time-european-babylonian-beast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/prophecy\/mercosur-deal-a-step-in-the-rise-of-the-end-time-european-babylonian-beast\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercosur deal: A step in the rise of the end time European Babylonian Beast?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nEuropean Union nations in Green
\n(Map from Wikipedia)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMercosur nations in dark blue are full members.
\nRed: suspended members.
\nBlue: associated members.
\nCyan: observers.
\n(Map by Chase1493 via Wikipedia)<\/em><\/p>\n

COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n

While many people are familiar with the European Union (EU), a lot less are familiar with the Mercosur group of nations.<\/p>\n

Its full members are\u00a0Argentina<\/a>,\u00a0Bolivia<\/a>,\u00a0Brazil<\/a>,\u00a0Paraguay<\/a>, and\u00a0Uruguay<\/a>.\u00a0Venezuela<\/a>\u00a0is a full member but has been suspended since 1 December 2016.\u00a0Chile<\/a>,\u00a0Colombia<\/a>,\u00a0Ecuador<\/a>,\u00a0Guyana<\/a>,\u00a0Panama<\/a>,\u00a0Peru<\/a>, and\u00a0Suriname<\/a> are associate countries. (Mercosur\/ Wikipedia. accessed 01\/14\/26)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A massive trade deal involving them and the EU was signed in South America today:<\/p>\n

\n

17 January 2026<\/p>\n

The EU and Mercosur signed a landmark free trade agreement on Saturday in Asunci\u00f3n, Paraguay \u2013 the largest deal Brussels has ever concluded \u2013 covering 700…. million citizens.<\/p>\n

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen received the green light<\/a> on 9 January to sign the deal, more than 25 years in the making. A majority of EU countries backed the agreement<\/a> \u2013 despite opposition from France and Poland.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe choose fair trade over tariffs, we choose a productive, long-term partnership over isolation, and above all, we intend to deliver real and tangible benefits to our peoples and companies,\u201d she said at the signing ceremony.<\/p>\n

Von der Leyen stressed the geopolitical importance of the agreement. \u201cWhen two regions like ours speak with one voice on global issues, the world will be listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

The agreement was sealed at the Banco Central del Paraguay, the same location where the Treaty of Asunci\u00f3n was signed<\/a> in 1991, establishing the creation of the Mercosur bloc between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. European Council President Ant\u00f3nio Costa also attended the ceremony. https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=99118&action=edit<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a big deal.<\/p>\n

17 January 2026<\/p>\n

foreign policy analyst Andres Malamud says …<\/p>\n

“Twenty-six years ago, this was an agreement about leadership, about setting rules for trade in the world,” he told DW. Now, … “it’s about resilience.”<\/p>\n

Malamud described the deal as an EU attempt to re-assert rules-based order and norms https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/not-just-trade-the-eu-mercosur-megadeal\/a-75507665<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Last week it was claimed:<\/p>\n

Paraguay\u00a0 … President Santiago Pe\u00f1a described the pact as \u201dthe largest free trade agreement in the history of humanity,\u201c emphasizing that it represents an \u201denormous opportunity\u201c for Paraguayan industries to gain global scale. https:\/\/en.mercopress.com\/2026\/01\/09\/eu-mercosur-deal-to-be-signed-in-asuncion-on-jan.-17?utm_source=chatgpt.com<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I said “claimed” is because that does not seem to be a precise quote. Yet, this is a prophetically important deal.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press<\/em> reported the following:<\/p>\n

\n

Forget tariff wars: The EU and Mercosur build one of the world\u2019s biggest free-trade zones<\/h2>\n

January 14, 2026<\/p>\n

Talks on a\u00a0landmark free trade deal<\/a><\/span> between the European Union and four South American countries started so long ago that the euro wasn\u2019t even in circulation, …<\/p>\n

But against a starkly different geopolitical background and tough odds \u2014 including\u00a0backlash from powerful protectionist lobbies<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u2014 the EU and the South American alliance known as\u00a0Mercosur<\/a><\/span>\u00a0are expected to formally sign their\u00a0quarter-century-in-the-making<\/a><\/span>\u00a0trade pact this Saturday at a ceremony in Paraguay.<\/p>\n

This is the first major trade agreement for Mercosur, …<\/p>\n

The\u00a0trans-Atlantic trade deal<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u2014 lifting tariffs on products ranging from Argentine steaks and Brazilian copper to German cars and Italian wine \u2014 still has to be ratified by the\u00a0European Parliament<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

The significance of creating one of the world\u2019s largest free-trade zones \u2014 home to more than 700 million people and accounting for a quarter of global gross domestic product \u2014 while\u00a0President Donald Trump<\/a><\/span>\u00a0yanks the United States\u00a0out of the international economy<\/a><\/span> is not lost on the signatories. …<\/p>\n

\u201cEU leaders decided that the deal is so important at this moment, it\u2019s worth it.\u201d https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/argentina-mercosur-european-union-trade-lula-milei-trump-china-c61f55cd655fd8695f3edcd6ee5a5b9e<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While this deal reportedly involves at least 700 million people, if you add, in addition to the people in the actual EU and Mercosur nations, those in nations that are associate members, true prospective members, and similar, then this is over 1 billion people.<\/p>\n

This type of deal has long been anticipated and predicted by Church of God writers.<\/p>\n

Consider the following from 1971:<\/p>\n

ENVISION the startling future of … Europe. … controlling perhaps half of all world trade, by exclusive arrangements with dozens of nations who produce raw materials.<\/p>\n

A “United States of Europe ” possessing one single currency … A United Europe developing great military strength …<\/p>\n

Such a European powerhouse is now just over the horizon. …<\/p>\n

The nations of Latin America also are edging close to some sort of arrangement with Brussels. (Hogberg G. Rising World Colossus. Plain Truth, May 1971)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Europe now does have its own currency. And finally, it has made a major Latin American trade move.<\/p>\n

Back in 2008, I posted the following:<\/p>\n

The EU will decide that Mexico and the rest of Latin America are in more agreement with it and thus make some type of serious trading agreement with most (or all) of Latin America. The Vatican will also have influence here as Latin America is highly\u00a0Roman Catholic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Europeans and Americans, however, will continue to have military agreements, though many will be tense about them. (Thiel B.\u00a0A Combined EU & North American Trade Block Coming?<\/a>\u00a0COGwriter.com, March 3, 2008)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2014, I posted the following:<\/p>\n

Some believe the group Mercosur is more of the answer than the Pacific Alliance.\u00a0 We may see that the two groups grow and perhaps will work together or merge in the future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For years I have written that I felt that those of Latin America would ultimately align with the upcoming European Beast power against the USA and its Anglo-allies (watch also\u00a0Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0 The European Union has been negotiating trade arrangements with many of the countries in Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance, as well as others in Latin America not affiliated with those groups.<\/p>\n

The Bible shows that the world will prosper for a time because of a coming European Beast power, but that power will be short-lived (Revelation 18).\u00a0 Thus, because of current and expected trade alliances, I remain of the view that nearly all (if not all) of Latin America will end up supporting the Europeans in the future. (Thiel B.\u00a0Pacific Alliance: Another Latin American Group<\/a>. COGwriter, February 18, 2014)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Note that all the nations in the Pacific Alliance are already associate members of Mercosur, except Mexico, which is an official observer to Mercosur.<\/p>\n

In 2018, I wrote:<\/p>\n

The Europeans have been working with Latin America, China, Russia’s Eurasian Union, and other areas of the world to try to set up its dominance of world trade as well as standards for world trade. (19 items to prophetically watch in 2019<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The late evangelist John Ogwyn wrote:<\/p>\n

\u00a0In alliance with a religious leader who will ignite an emotional mass hysteria through what the scripture terms \u201clying wonders\u201d (2 Thessalonians 2:9), this military-political leader will use deceit to achieve great power. He will lead a revived Holy Roman Empire, called in Scripture \u201cBabylon the Great\u201d (Revelation 17; 18).<\/p>\n

This European union of church and state will promise universal prosperity and will exercise worldwide economic dominance for a short while. Ezekiel 27, using the figure of the ancient commercial city of Tyre, speaks of this global economic combine, which will include nations of Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia … in Revelation 18 where the end-time system, called Babylon the Great, is described. (Ogwyn J. The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. USP Edition 1.3 September 2015, LCG)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Bible prophesies the following in Ezekiel 27 related to trading with the Tyre (Ezekiel 27:1-3):<\/p>\n

\n

12 “Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. 15 The men of Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. 16 Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm. 18 Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. 19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. 20 Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. 24 These were your merchants in choice items \u2014 in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace. (Ezekiel 27:12-24)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Argentina exports wheat and meat. Bolivia exports tin. Brazil and Columbia iron. Brazil, Argentina, and Columbia export steel. Mexico exports tin. Peru and Mexico export lead. Peru exports a lot of bronze. Chile is one of the leading producers of copper, the main element in bronze.<\/p>\n

As far as cane goes, if that includes sugar cane (and the Berean Study Bible translates this as “sweet cane”), then it should be noted that the leading producer in the world is Brazil, with Mexico 7th, Guatemala 9th, and Columbia 15th. Places like Paraguay are major exporters of stevia (it is number 2, with China 1), another sweetener.<\/p>\n

As far as embroidered garments and chests of multicolored apparel go, I have seen this is in places in Latin America such as Mexico and Guatemala (see http:\/\/www.worldstopexports.com\/sugar-exports-country\/ accessed 12\/04\/19).<\/p>\n

On November 6, 2024, the day after Donald Trump’s re-election I posted:<\/p>\n

Donald Trump\u2019s pointing to tariffs as the answer for US trade imbalances and manufacturing decline will incense the Europeans. Some type of trade war is coming. Europe will get more serious about trade deals with others internationally, such as being more motivated to approve the trade deal with the Mercosur block of South America. (Thiel B. Media declares Donald Trump won the election\u2013now what? y Donald trump y eventos para observar<\/a>. COGwriter, November 6, 2024)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When I wrote the above, it was not at all certain to political analysts that the deal between the EU and the Mercosur block would ever get approved.<\/p>\n

There was major opposition to this by France, Poland, Austria, Ireland and Hungary. They all voted against the deal, while Belgium, whose Flemish and French-speaking regions disagree, abstained (see https:\/\/www.euractiv.com\/news\/eu-countries-endorse-mercosur-trade-deal\/<\/a>). There have also been large protests against this deal in Europe in 2026.<\/p>\n

Yet, biblically, such a deal made sense.<\/p>\n

Anyway, according to numerous news report, it was primarily because of Donald Trump that the EU accelerated the process and revived the stalled agreement:<\/p>\n

\n

Trump\u2019s trade war fast-tracked the EU\u2013Mercosur agreement<\/h2>\n

the European Commission put forward the signing and adoption of the\u00a0EU\u2013Mercosur Agreement<\/a>, paving the way for the creation of the world\u2019s largest free trade area. But why now \u2014 and how could this reshape the game of international trade?<\/strong>\u00a0…<\/p>\n

Donald Trump …<\/p>\n

what strategic international interactions might the EU and Brazil (via Mercosur) adopt to mitigate Trump\u2019s tariff shock? The fact is that a window of opportunity has opened.<\/p>\n

While the US seeks to maximise gains through unilateral tariffs, the EU and Brazil (via Mercosur) perceive that, faced with a common rival, the EU\u2013Mercosur Agreement ceases to be merely a trade treaty and becomes a strategic response to a more hostile international environment. 09\/23\/25 https:\/\/www.brusselstimes.com\/1761329\/the-european-commissions-approval-has-raised-hopes-for-the-final-signing-in-december-game-theory-sheds-light-on-the-strategic-response-to-donald-trumps-trade-policy<\/a><\/p>\n

The EU-Mercosur Deal Is a Hedge Against the Donroe Doctrine<\/h2>\n

Mercosur … The deal has become about much more than trade: It is a sign that Europe and much of South America are pursuing strategies to increase their economic and strategic autonomy in the face of U.S. protectionism and military threats. https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/14\/eu-mercosur-trade-deal-trump-donroe-doctrine\/<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There have been, and will be more, unintended consequences of the Trump presidency.<\/p>\n

Regarding trade, now notice something from my free eBook titled Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump\u2019s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Trade \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the unintended consequences of Donald Trump\u2019s threats of tariffs and other trade matters is that it is motivating nations he has threatened to look to trade more with each other.<\/p>\n

Europe will get more serious about trade deals with others internationally \u2026<\/p>\n