MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US Chargé d'Affaires in Asunción insists his country will always be “an ally” of Paraguay

Salazar highlighted “the bonds of friendship between the peoples of Paraguay and the United States” since President Hayes' ruling

Joseph Salazar, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Asunción, Monday tweeted that his country “has been, and will always continue to be, an ally of Paraguay.”

The diplomat's words came while Paraguay was celebrating the 143rd anniversary of US President Rutherford Hayes' arbitration granting Paraguay the entirety of the Chaco territory under dispute following a war with Argentina and Brazil.

The celebration also marked the 40th Anniversary of the Paraguayan-American Chamber of Commerce.

The event took place at Paraguay's Foreign Ministry with Salazar joining Foreign Minister Euclides Acevedo and Chamber President Agustín Magallanes.

After the war, the Argentine claim was taken to international arbitration, at the discretion of the then US President Hayes, who ruled in favour of Paraguay on the 12th of November 1878.

After the arbitration, the Paraguayan Congress passed a law creating the national territory in Chaco with the name of Western Department and renaming Villa Occidental with the name of Villa Hayes.

“Today we celebrate 143 years of the Hayes Award highlighting the bonds of friendship between the peoples of Paraguay and the United States, throughout history. This celebration reminds us that the United States has been, and will always continue to be, an ally of Paraguay,” tweeted Salazar.

During the event, historians described Argentina's intention to bring its territorial limits to the Río Verde, which was submitted to Hayes' consideration. The award granted Paraguay a strip of territory known today as the Presidente Hayes Department, in the Western Region.