Coup d'etat in Paraguay  

María Páez de Victor

July 2012

Toronto

The coup d’etat in Paraguay mocks democracy in all of Latin America.  Parliamentary procedures were distorted to depose the legitimate President, Fernando Lugo.

President Lugo’s two defense lawyers denounced before the Senate that the impeachment document proved that the process was not a trial but an a priori condemnation: illegal, disrespectful of every penal and constitutional law and without one single piece of evidence.  How can a complicated impeachment trial be completed in two hours?  Because it was not a trial but a coup – that has to be quick to deny popular forces time to organize.

Paraguay’s parliament is a stronghold of the interests of wealthy minorities. The senate is perhaps the most corrupt in the region, whose members are linked to narco-traffic, mafia and the former tyrannical dictator Stroessner.

The trap was set with 17 deaths in a confrontation between landless rural workers and a special police unit trained in anti-terrorism by Uribe forces. The land in dispute is owned by the former president of the extreme right wing Colorado Party, thanks to the former dictator Stroessner.  It was an attempt to criminalize rural organizations that steadily protest against Monsanto genetically modified seeds.  Monsanto and Cargill, two huge  agro-industrial transnational corporations, are greatly influential and have strong ties to the media. The most important rural NGO, Via Campesina, solidly backed Lugo.

The heart of the issue is Paraguay’s prime agricultural land and immense water reserves.  The landowners of vast estates, partners of these corporations,  have orchestrated the coup.  The landowners  (2% of the population who own 85% of the land) pay no taxes. The corporations produce 30% of GNP, but sheltered by the congress, pay no taxes. Unsurprising, Paraguay is the second poorest nation in South America. Because of Paraguay’s strategic geopolitical position the USA wants to build a large military base  - opposed by Lugo but now approved by the illegitimate government. 

The indignation over this coup is widespread in governments of every ideology. UNASUR, CELAC, MERCOSUR, ALBA and OAS have all denounced it. Paraguay was promptly expelled from MERCOSUR. Venezuela immediately cut all flow of oil to Paraguay. Any number of ambassadors have been recalled.

But the Harper government that touts  “the advancement of democracy” as its main policy towards Latina America, was the first to recognize the illegitimate government, even before the USA.  Diane Ablonzczy, Minister of State for the Americas, (June 23, 2012) blandly stated that Lugo had accepted the senate decision.

Canada has not defended democracy, judicial process, rule of law, rights of the people or parliamentary integrity. According to  Harper, nothing strange happened in Paraguay. It is business as usual  – especially since Canadian mining company RIO  TINTO ALCAN is going to receive a $14 billion subsidy from the illegitimate government. What hypocrisy!

Bibilography:

 “Lugo And the Connection to Agro-Industry”, Atilio Boron

“Paraguay: ¿Por qué derrocaron a Lugo?” ALAI, América Latina en Movimiento, June 22, 2012.

“Destitución de Lugo, Maniobra de EEUU” Stella Calloni, La Jornada