Paraguay discussing inviting Maduro to the inauguration of president-elect Cartes

Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:35 UTC

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President-elect Cartes takes office next 15 August

Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes transition team said that Venezuela should be present at the inauguration ceremony of the new head of state scheduled for 15 August, despite the ‘current circumstances’ of bilateral relations.

“All presidents with which historically Paraguay has had relations, despite the current circumstances of our bilateral relations with Venezuela, must be part of the celebrations”, said former Foreign minister Leila Rachid and head of international relations from the transition team.

Ms Rachid on Thursday met with the president of the current Legislative, Alfredo Luis Jaeggli and said Horacio Cartes will not make statements on foreign affairs until he takes office.

Cartes from the long rooted Colorado party won Paraguayan presidential elections with 45.85% of votes cast, defeating his main competitor, Efrain Alegre from the Liberal party with 36.94%.

“Who speaks in the name of the Republic of Paraguay is the president and this case it is President Federico Franco. It is him who is entitled to talk and take decisions referred to foreign policy”, said Ms Rachid when asked if the president-elect would be inviting the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro to his inauguration.

The current government of Liberal party president Franco declared Maduro ‘persona non-grata’ because of his comments following the political impeachment and removal by the Paraguayan Senate of the president Fernando Lugo in June last year. Allegedly Maduro then Foreign minister, tried to convince the Paraguayan Armed Forces to come out to the streets in support of Lugo.

Following Lugo’s removal Paraguay was temporarily suspended from Mercosur and Unasur, ‘until democracy returns to the country”.

Ms Rachid said that it will be Horacio Cartes “who defines the Paraguayan government foreign policy, but once he is officially inaugurated as president on 15 August”.

Cartes transition team and the government of President Franco are making preparations for next August 15 when Franco will step down and the newly elected leader takes office. The party including foreign invitations is expected to be in the range of 800.000 dollars said the Senate president Jaeggli.

Categories: Politics, Latin America, Mercosur, Paraguay, Venezuela.

Tags: Alfredo Luis Jaeggli, Efrain Alegre, Federico Franco, Horacio Cartes, Leila Rachid, Mercosur, Nicolas Maduro, Paraguay, Paraguayan Senate, Venezuela.

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ChrisR
This promises to be an hot ticket!

Ha, ha, ha.

I wonder if the little bird will turn up with the bus driver and if Maduro will have TMBOA on his arm. Venezuela has paid for her 13 million times over.
May 10th, 2013 - 05:31 pm 0
Baxter
Could be the first big test for President elect Cartes . As a businessman he knows full well that Paraguay needs Mercosur being a landlocked country . However , the people of Paraguay are still annoyed by the way in which they were thrown out of Mercosur -- and now amazed that the three democrats ( Mujica , Rousseff and Kirchner ) -are accepting Maduro as legal President when the constituition was broken and a very narrow majority which does call for a full recount.
He seems to believe that Paraguay should accept Mercosurs conditions to rejoin the club , including acceptance of Venezuela . Whereas a large part of the population feel that the country is owed an apology and should be welcomed with no pre- conditions .
To add insult to injury the man who tried to get the Paraguayan army to revolt in favour of Lugo is now President of Venezuela !
May 10th, 2013 - 08:15 pm 0
Conqueror
Don't make a mistake here, Paraguay. Much as it might be tempting to show that you are all “good ole boys” and the best of friends, there are certain “states” that shouldn't be invited. In the alphabetical order of those “states”, don't invite Kirchner, Rousseff, Mujica or Maduro. Why would you invite three criminals and their current boss? Make a statement! You were “interfered with”. Raped. Why would you invite the rapists? And think carefully about others. Do you really “need” Humala, Correa and Morales? Who would really miss the seven of them?
May 11th, 2013 - 01:23 pm 0

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