Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Tuesday that the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) must approve Venezuela's membership in three months or he will withdraw the nation's application.

Speaking to the government he said Venezuela is keen to join, if changes can be made to the elites and business groups operating within it.

Mercosur "was created in the heart of neo-liberalism and ended up becoming one more way for elites and businesses to come together. The people's integration has been relegated to bottom priority," Chavez said.

"Until now there does not seem to have been a real willingness to make changes in Mercosur's structure, and because of this, Venezuela does not rule out abandoning one model of integration, which is not real integration," he said.

Venezuela was allowed in 2006, as a member with a voice, but without a vote, until the nation could agree on the adoption of a common external tariff, and the opening of its markets.

Argentina and Uruguay's legislatures have already accepted Venezuela as a member, but Brazil and Paraguay have yet to do so.

"A year has passed since we signed the protocol of adhesion and right now there is no ideological, political, economic or any other reason that prevents us from being part of Mercosur," Chavez said.

Chavez missed the 33rd Summit of Mercosur Presidents and Economy Ministers last week in Paraguay because he was on an official visit to Russia.

Chavez said that he did not rule out Venezuela's return to the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) even though he had withdrawn the nation from the bloc in April, 2006.