Argentina withdraws ambassador from Paraguay: Mercosur decides next week
Argentina is withdrawing its ambassador to Paraguay because of the rapid impeachment of former Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Rafael Edgardo Roma will immediately leave the Argentine embassy in Paraguay, following Fernando Lugo’s removal from power, which was voted by the Paraguayan Congress on Friday. Federico Franco was sworn-in as president, but the Cristina Fernández administration refused to recognise him as leader.
The immediate withdrawal is in response to “the grave institutional events ... that culminated in the removal of constitutional President Fernando Lugo and the rupture of democratic order”.
The move comes a day after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez described Lugo's ouster as a coup. Argentina was the first nation to take concrete action against its neighbour over Lugo's impeachment.
Federico Franco, Paraguay's former vice-president was sworn in on Friday after Congress voted overwhelmingly to remove Lugo from office, saying he had failed to fulfil his duties to maintain social harmony.
Lugo's ouster was sparked by clashes over a land eviction that killed 17 police and peasant farmers a week earlier. He was a year away from completing a five-year term.
The trial's unprecedented speed raised concerns throughout the hemisphere. Leaders from Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador said they would not recognize the new administration and vowed to lobby for sanctions against Paraguay.
Fernandez had warned previously that measures could be adopted against Paraguay within the Mercosur trade bloc, which groups neighbours Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and is holding its mid year summit next week in Mendoza.
On Thursday, the UNASUR group of South American nations sent a delegation of foreign ministers to Asuncion to try to avert a quick condemnation of Lugo, arguing that he needed time to defend himself.
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said UNASUR could meet in the coming week to discuss Paraguay.
Regional heavyweight Brazil, a strategic ally to Paraguay, said it will not respond unilaterally and will seek consensus within UNASUR.
Cuba called it a “parliamentary coup d'etat executed against the constitutional President Fernando Lugo and the brother people of Paraguay.”
Criticism came also from conservative governments.
Chile said Lugo's removal “did not comply with the minimum standards of due process,” and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said “legal procedures shouldn't be used to abuse. ... What we want is to help stability and democracy be maintained in Paraguay.”
On Saturday, the Vatican's envoy to Paraguay stopped short of recognizing the new government but expressed satisfaction there has been little unrest other than some confrontations between Lugo supporters and police during the Senate trial.
“I am very pleased that the people and authorities have thought of the good of the country, which is to keep giving one's best for the fatherland,” envoy Antonio Ariotti said, adding that he would read a message from the Vatican.
The US State Department urged “all Paraguayans to act peacefully, with calm and responsibility, in the spirit of Paraguay's democratic principles.”
The head of the Kirchnerite caucus in the Senate Miguel Angel Pichetto confirmed that the Senate will hold a special session to reject the ‘institutional coup” which took place on Paraguay on Friday.
The session will begin at 7 pm on Monday, and Pichetto said that the Kirchnerite stance is the same one as President Cristina Fernández and the Foreign Ministry’s of not “recognizing the government that came out after the shameful coup which ousted President Fernando Lugo.”
Pichetto assured that the Paraguayan congress did not guarantee Lugo’s right to defence and that what happened was clearly an institutional coup, which recalls the worst antidemocratic experiences in Latin America.”
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Good luck, Mr. President Franco.......
How dare anyone one of them claim to be “democratic”.
They're all scared that this revolutionswill be brought to their own doorstep for the same progressive/populist policies gone wrong.
Tik Tok CFK, Correa, Evo...and well Chavez has head that clock for awhile now...
Still looks like the lefty Presidents are a little nervous and overreacting to me.
Read by yourself.
www.thenation.com/article/167994/honduras-which-side-us
translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.clarin.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dclarin%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26tbo%3Dd&sa=X&ei=4RfnT4vOD4nQhAem6rzeCQ&ved=0CIEBEO4BMAA
Why so nervous, CFK? A legal impeachment within the laws of Paraguay are an internal matter, nothing to do with Argentina.
Besides, I'm sure that countries that actually matter will recognise this as a legal act.
Paraguay has nothing USA wants except maybe putting a base there I think we were talking with them awhile ago maybe that is why we want a new Prez in there.
All was saying it looks like the 4 worst Prez in SA are a little nervous and jumping the gun a bit...maybe they think they're next. One can only hope.
Bang those pots people!!
I agree that CFKC has been rattled by this news from Paraguay. And she should be.
#16 If thats true then Lugo wasn't even a Chavista or that radical, so perhaps the defence of him by the left points to general democratic principles. Anyway it will be good to get Venezuela in Mercosur, and Argentina can maybe join ALBA =)
And CFK will punish us severely .
BTW, what it´s more democratic...??? Change one president along with the own Constitution or change the own Constitution to be allowed to be re-elected as president for an 5th term...? Or back up the leftist extremist and naco gangs that are killing their neighbor´population....?? Is Venezuela a democratic country...? What a joke, don´t you think...? Or Argentina where the Gvt. take over the paper factories to rule the private newspapers, take over the money of pensionist to back up the fall of its economy, that sue the consulting companies that analyze the real numbers on inflation and growing, that take over companies owned by foreing holdings with no pay expectation, that threaten people with La Campora gang.....and more...??? The same friend CFK that dennied the path of electricity from Paraguay to Uruguay through their wires if they din't pay a excesive rate even Mr. Lugo asked her for a reconsideration in countless opportunities....and now is crying for him..? Is Ecuador a democratic country where the president's fellows judges condemned a newspaper to pay US 50 million to the president because they said the truth....
Unfortunately, the moron OAS Secretary have given wrong consideration and violated the right of one of its members to act as its internal legislation allow it...
At least the real democracies like Germany and other from the most developed countries have supported the legal Paraguayan Gvt. of Mr. Franco...
So, please, shoemakers be back to your shoes...and let others quiet...!!!
Mrs. Botox take you pills because you are under another breakdown.....!!!
The main reason Paraguay has been blocking Venezuela from full membership and using Chaves a main problem is because it's a corrupt begger nation that's (trying hard ) bribing Venezuela. en.mercopress.com/2011/02/05/paraguayan-congress-puts-price-to-venezuela-s-mercosur-incorporation
Dictators?
Majority of the people of Honduras did not agree with the coup, did NOT voted for Lobo and have to stick with it.
Who doesn't like the policies of the US is bad, or is dictator and is acceptable for Faux news, CNN, ABC, BBC, AP, Reuters kool aid drinkers stuck in the left vs right fake paradigm.
Majority of the people VOTED for Chavez, it's their problem, like it or not if you're foreigner, it's not your damn business. Don't pretend you care about Venezuela.
Monarchs are unelected good old fashioned feudal dressed up clowns who do business “for the people, for their own interests and with taxpers money”. But hey whatever, it's wonderful to bow for them.
O'bummer (and mittens romney flip flopper and draft dodger) are all for “we don't need congress for anything” and worst of all, Pro NDAA (Patriot act on steriods and the hell with the bill of rights, meaning the end of the US constitution). But ehh, I like him, he's soo nice.
Camoron: Austerity for the peasants, let them eat virtual cake so I save the banks (my friends). Referendum? What's that? Hell with it and hell with your privacy. The olympics? Great opportunity to Militarize the area and police to protect you from “terrorists”..the same “rebels” we're funded in Lybia and funding in Syria. The peasants will accept it, in the name of “security”.
The main reason Paraguay has been blocking Venezuela is because Chavez thinks he's a messiah.
People who don't like policies of other countries are welcome to explain their views. Places like argieland and venezuela need not apply.
Majority of people were TOLD to vote for Chavez or else.
And for the UK? Yes, the missile batteries are targeted on argie and venezuelan competitors. This time we'll provide our own “Hand of God”. Don't like it? FO.
By the way, I have a part Venezuelan friend who lives and works here in Britain with his own business. You should hear what he has to say about Chavez. I had to put my hands over my ears, I was so shocked by his language. I think that “fucking, thieving cunt” was his politest description.
YOU mentioned Honduras first because somehow you wanted to use it to mock certain presidents' reaction to regime change in Latin America. If you don't like to have Honduras' problems exposed, don't mention it.
The lower house asked, with far more than 2/3 of its members, for the impeachment proceedings in the upper house.
The upper house impeached Mr. Lugo with far more than 2/3 of its members.
The impeachment of a president is called “juicio político” in Spanish, which makes people think that it is a judicial proceeding, it is not, it is a legislative proceeding and does not follow judicial forms.
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