MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Unasur not after reinstatement of Lugo; wants political dialogue in Paraguay

Peruvian minister Roncagliolo, our commitment is with democracy

Unasur (Union of South American Nations) wants to closely accompany the democratic restoration process in Paraguay and is not after the reinstatement of removed president Fernando Lugo, said Peruvian Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Roncagliolo.

“We have ratified our commitment to the reestablishment of dialogue and the democratic process in Paraguay because the country experienced a rupture of the democratic order”, said Roncagliolo following a meeting with Unasur Secretary General Ali Rodriguez (from Venezuela) and the Unasur high level group chief Salomon Lerner.

The high level group was specifically created to monitor and follow the Paraguayan process and is fed information from the Unasur members’ embassies in Asunción, even when they have left second level personnel in charge.

Peru is playing a leading role in the situation since it currently holds the Unasur chair. Likewise Mr. Lerner, a former Peruvian Prime Minister was named to head the special high level group.

“Mr Lerner recalled Unasur commitment to contribute, in an effective way to the resumption of dialogue and understanding between the different political and social sectors in Paraguay, as well as the strict compliance with democratic standards, human rights leading to clean and transparent elections”, said the Peruvian foreign ministry in a brief release referred to the meeting.

The special high level group will continue “with its standing monitoring task of the Paraguayan case and is expected to meet again in Lima, Peru in coming weeks to consider the different options to promote dialogue”, added the release.

Paraguay was suspended from Unasur following the removal of Lugo as president in June and his replacement by Federico Franco. Lugo underwent and accepted the result of the political impeachment that removed him but Unasur and Mercosur allege he wasn’t given sufficient time to organize his defence and thus consider the whole process as illegitimate and a rupture of the democratic order.