MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unasur suspends Paraguay; names Peru at the group’s pro-tempore presidency

Argentine Foreign minister read the Unasur declaration

Unasur, Union of South American nations on Friday suspended Paraguay from the group following the ouster of the country's former president, Fernando Lugo. The decision was adopted at an extraordinary meeting in Mendoza, Argentina where earlier in the day Mercosur members adopted a similar measure.

Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman said the Unasur suspension will be in place until the country holds presidential elections slated for April next year.

Paraguay will be welcomed back into both groups once it holds clean and democratic elections, regardless of the result, Minister Timerman said at a press conference Friday following the meeting.

He added that Paraguay’s period at the pro-tempore Unasur presidency was over and will be replaced for the next twelve months by Peru.

The Unasur declaration described events in Paraguay as “a rupture of democratic order” and the procedure to remove Lugo as a “summary trial”, and a clear violation of the right to due process with minimum guarantees for an adequate defense.

Unasur will also promote the suspension of Paraguay from all forums, dialogue mechanisms, political convergence and integration of the region according to what is established in the statutes and regulations from the organization.

A special high level group will be named for the monitoring and assessment of the situation in Paraguay, particularly directed to a quick normalization of its democratic institutional order.

Finally Unasur reaffirms its unrestricted solidarity with the people of Paraguay and will ensure that “the effects of this decision do not harm the Paraguayan people”.