MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Mercosur ‘suspended’ Paraguay feels free to establish trade links with other countries
President Franco next to the new Vice president Oscar Denis (Photo ABC) President Federico Franco announced in a press conference that if Paraguay is suspended from Mercosur the country will feel free to look for other trade agreements and international relations.
“Once suspended Paraguay is free to take its own decisions; we are going to balance costs and benefits, and we will decide what is best for Paraguay’s interests”, said Franco when asked about the possibility of establishing trade links with the US, China and other economic spaces.
“This means the end of the tutelage from neighbouring countries”, he added in direct reference to Argentina and Brazil and insisted that his administration’s message to the international community is that Paraguay has always been “a free and independent country”.
Following the ceremony when he took the oath to the new Vice president Senator Oscar Denis, Franco reiterated that he will step down from office 15 August 2013, handing the office to whoever is chosen by the Paraguayan people in free and democratic elections 23 April 2013. “My mission and legacy will be to put the house in order and deliver a country with governance and stability”.
Franco was sworn in as president following the impeachment of his predecessor Fernando Lugo by an overwhelming vote in the Senate for “ill-performance of his duties as president”.
His swift removal in an impeachment process has been seriously questioned in the region because of it took less than 30 hours, Lugo’s defence was limited and it was described as a “summary trial”.
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Read all commentsParaguay doesn't even have an economy of its own. 60% of the largest enterprises established in the country have Brazilian capital, and if Argentinian and Uruguayan investment was considered, I wouldn't doubt the percentage would get close to 100%. Mercopress continues its silly cheerleading against the group it is outrageously named after.
Jun 30th, 2012 - 04:03 am 0(1) Forgetit87
Jun 30th, 2012 - 04:41 am 0Don’t “forget” their “informal smuggling” economy……………..
Some examples….:
Paraguay, a Country of 6 million impoverished inhabitants imports an estimated total of ~1.5 million laptops a year.
Paraguay, a Country of 6 million impoverished inhabitants imports an estimated total of ~3 million mobile phones a year.
Paraguay, a Country of 6 million impoverished inhabitants imports an estimated total of ~0.5 million Viagra pills a year.
This “informal smuggling” economy is estimated to generate profits in the order of 100 -200 million U$S…................... PER WEEK!
Maybe Brazil and Argentina should consider stopping this?
Yes, Paraguay's retail sector is entirely dependant on hundreds of thousands (or millions, perhaps) of Brazilians and Argentinians who cross the border to buy those cheap products. What would happen to Paraguay if all of them were prevented by their governments from going there to keep the Paraguayan commercial sector alive -- this is something the Paraguayans must know well, their grandstanding notwithstanding.
Jun 30th, 2012 - 05:01 am 0I don't know if you remember this, Think, but in 2005 the Paraguayan leadership was negotiating with the Americans the establishment of a military base on its territory. And the only reason it was forced to shelve the project was Mercosur protests -- protests that included the threat to target the Paraguayan economy if Assunción kept on with its provocative plan. Paraguay is a landlocked country that is now being politically isolated by the rest of South America. It won't have new trade partners anytime soon.
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