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Unasur delegation travels to Paraguay to ensure “democratic system integrity”

Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 23:32 UTC
Full article 4 comments
Leaders meeting in Rio suspect of a coup to oust President Lugo Leaders meeting in Rio suspect of a coup to oust President Lugo

A delegation of Foreign Affairs ministers should be arriving late Thursday to Asunción where the Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo is facing political impeachment that could have him out of office.

“The heads of state from Unasur (Union of South American Nations) have decided to send a delegation of Foreign Affairs ministers to Paraguay given the political situation in that country”, announced the Ecuadorean minister Ricardo Patiño in his Twitter.

Ministers should be arriving in Asunción after 21:00 hours said Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota following a meeting of Unasur presidents and ministers currently attending the Rio+20 sustainable growth summit in Rio do Janeiro.

“I’ll be in the delegation as will be Unasur secretary general Alí Rodríguez”, said Patriota adding that “(Unasur) presidents expressed their conviction that stability, rule of the law and democratic institutional order must be preserved according to the Constitution and the due process mechanism”.

“The presidents consider that Unasur countries managed to conquer democracy with great effort and we must be extreme defenders of democratic integrity”, underlined Patriota.

The Unasur leaders in Brazil on Thursday summoned an urgent meeting to address the political crisis situation in Paraguay, said Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa during the early discussions of the Rio+20 summit. He suggested that Unasur could consider implementing the protocol against coups.

“President Correa insists that democracy is based on legality and legitimacy, regarding the political crisis in Paraguay”, added Patiño in his twitted message.

The Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo in his daily updates reported that according to Itamaraty sources the Unasur heads of state are supporting President Lugo since they consider the impeachment process “a camouflaged coup” to oust the Paraguayan elected leader.

The current political situation in Paraguay was triggered following the killing of ten peasants and seven policemen during the eviction of squatters from a farm and forest taken over by the landless movement.

These conflicts are recurrent in Paraguay’s rich farm lands and forests but this was the first time 17 people were killed and tens injured with shotguns, machetes, swords, spears and arrows.

But the military also expressed concern because some of the police forces killed or wounded suffered impacts from sophisticated weapons only in possession of the Paraguayan armed forces.
 

Top Comments

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  • Sergio Vega

    Why the Unasur members must be involved in internal legal process??? Who have gave them the right to intervene in internal politcal issues when they are leaded constitutionally ??
    Why they don´t take care of deeper violations of human and political rights in other countries like Venezuela or Ecuador or due its leftist Gvts. they are allowed to do so ??
    Better if Unasur is deleted and the funds waisted on it transferred to people that needs it...

    Jun 22nd, 2012 - 03:08 am 0
  • BOTINHO

    Calma, Amigo.

    Would it be better if they were prevented, or did not care to go ?
    The delegation is going to observe. And that is a good thing, no ?

    Next time could then be Venezuela, Ecuador, or anywhere you like. Let them set a PRECEDENT for South America.

    Jun 22nd, 2012 - 04:48 am 0
  • Ken Ridge

    1 Sergio Vega

    “Why they don´t take care of deeper violations of human and political rights in other countries like Venezuela or Ecuador or due its leftist Gvts. they are allowed to do so ??”

    You forgot Argieland in your list.

    Jun 23rd, 2012 - 09:25 am 0
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