Paraguay has passed a bill imposing a temporary suspension of constitutional rights in five northern and central provinces of the country in a crackdown on violence by a self proclaimed insurgent group, the Paraguayan People’s Army, EPP.
President Lula da Silva defended his “diversification” diplomacy and said that Brazil must extend “a friendly hand” to all Latinamerican countries. He recalled that some interest groups in Brazil wanted him to strongly confront the governments of Bolivia and Paraguay because of differences over energy policies.