*Fernando Lugo was ousted Friday as president of Paraguay after a whirlwind impeach process.*
President Fernando Lugo said Friday he accepts the Paraguayan Senate's decision to oust him after a turbo-charged impeachment process in which the law was "twisted like a fragile branch in the wind." "Tonight I leave through the biggest door of the motherland, I leave through the door of the heart of my compatriots," he said to applause from supporters gathered at the presidential palace. It is not Fernando Lugo, but "Paraguayan democracy that has been deeply wounded," he said, while urging his partisans to limit themselves to peaceful protest. "May the blood of the just never again be spilled because of mean-spirited interests in our country," Lugo said. Vice President Federico Franco was sworn-in as Paraguay's chief of state barely 90 minutes after the vote to remove Lugo. The next general election is set for April 2013. Only four of the 43 senators present at Friday's session voted against finding Lugo guilty of misfeasance for the events of June 15, when seven police and nine squatters were killed in a clash in the northeastern province of Canindeyu. Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/06/22/paraguayan-president-accepts-senate-vote-to-oust-him/#ixzz1yZQ8xChT *What will Washington do about Fernando Lugo's ouster in Paraguay * * * [image: PDF]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?format=pdf> [image: Print]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?tmpl=component&print=1&page=> [image: E-mail]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3Vwc2lkZWRvd253b3JsZC5vcmcvbWFpbi9uZXdzLWJyaWVmcy1hcmNoaXZlcy02OC8zNzAxLXdoYXQtd2lsbC13YXNoaW5ndG9uLWRvLWFib3V0LWZlcm5hbmRvLWx1Z29zLW91c3Rlci1pbi1wYXJhZ3VheQ%3D%3D> Written by Mark Weisbrot Friday, 22 June 2012 16:04 Source: The Guardian Unlimited, Comment Is Free<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/22/washington-fernando-lugo-ouster-paraguay> A coup d'etat is taking place right now, Friday afternoon, in Paraguay<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/paraguay> . That is how it has been described by a number of neighboring governments. And the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is treating it as such, taking it very seriously. All 12 foreign ministers (including those of Brazil and Argentina, who are deeply concerned) flew to Asunción Thursday night<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jwCq6qb6LnqU6VZNoHCOj9VAWuKA?docId=CNG.23b55594da20e9ee77ce182e8cda1109.2f1>to meet with the government, as well as the opposition in Paraguay's Congress. The Congress of Paraguay is trying to oust the president, Fernando Lugo, by means of an impeachment proceeding for which he was given less than 24 hours to prepare and only two hours to present a defense. It appears that a decision to convict him has already been written, and will be presented Friday evening (at 20.30 GMT). It would be impossible to call this due process under any circumstances, but it is also a clear violation of Article 17 of Paraguay's constitution<http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Paraguay/para1992.html>, which provides for the right to an adequate defense. The politics of the situation are clear enough. Paraguay was controlled for 61 years by the rightwing Colorado party. For most of this time (1947-1989), the country was ruled by dictatorship. President Lugo, a former Catholic bishop from the tradition of liberation theology who had fought for the rights of the poor, was elected in 2008, but did not win majority backing in the Congress. He put together a coalition government, but the right including the media has never really accepted his presidency. I met Fernando Lugo in early 2009, and I was impressed with his patience and long-term strategy. He said that given the strength of the institutions aligned against him, he did not expect to gain all that much in the present; he was fighting so that the next generation could have a better life. But the opposition to him was ruthless. In November of 2009, he had to fire his top military officers<http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-04/world/paraguay.president.fernando.lugo_1_rumors-commanders-coup?_s=PM:WORLD>because of credible reports that they were conspiring with the political opposition. The main trigger for the impeachment is an armed clash between peasants fighting for land rights with police, which left at least 17 dead, including seven police officers. The land in dispute was claimed by the landless workers to have been illegally obtained by a Colorado party politician<http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/15/3660239/paraguay-17-killed-in-violent.html>. But this violent confrontation is merely a pretext, as it is clear that the president had no responsibility for what happened. Nor have Lugo's opponents presented any evidence for their charges in today's "trial". President Lugo proposed an investigation into the incident; the opposition was not interested, preferring their rigged judicial proceedings. Lugo's election was one of many across South America Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Honduras<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/honduras>, Nicaragua, El Salvador in which left governments were elected over the past 14 years, changing the political geography<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/new-regional-organization-is-a-big-step-forward-for-the-hemisphere>of the hemisphere. With that, came increasing political unity on regional issues especially in confronting the United States<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa>, which had previously prevented left governments from coming to power or governing. So, it is not surprising to see the immediate and urgent response by South American countries to this coup attempt, which they see as a threat to their democracies. UNASUR Secretary General Ali Rodriguez insisted Lugo must be given "due process" and the right to defend himself. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador said that UNASUR could refuse to recognize the next government in accordance with a democracy clause in UNASUR's charter. Correa was also one of the staunchest opponents of the coup three years ago in Honduras, which ousted democratic left President Mel Zelaya. Honduras continues to suffer<http://www.thenation.com/article/167994/honduras-which-side-us>from extreme violence, including the murder of journalists and political opponents, under the regime that was established under the coup<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/honduras-needs-help-from-the-south> . Zelaya's ouster was a turning point for relations between the US and Latin America, as governments including Brazil and Argentina, which had previously hoped that President Obama would depart from the policies of his predecessor were rudely disappointed. The Obama administration<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/obama-administration>made conflicting statements about the Honduras coup, and then in opposition to the rest of the hemisphere did everything it could to make sure that the coup succeeded<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-weisbrot/top-ten-ways-you-can-tell_b_394347.html>. This included blocking, within the OAS, efforts by South American nations to restore democracy in Honduras. At the latest Summit of the Americas, Obama in contrast to the summit of early 2009 was as isolated as his predecessor George W Bush had been. The Obama administration has responded to the current crisis in Paraguay with a statement in support of due process. Perhaps, they have learned something from Honduras and will not actively oppose efforts by South America to support democracy this time. And certainly, South America will not allow Washington to hijack any mediation process, if there is one as Hillary Clinton <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/hillaryclinton> did with the OAS in Honduras. But Washington may still play its traditional role by assuring the opposition that the new government will have support, including financial and military, from Washington. We will watch what happens. It remains to be seen what more UNASUR will do to oppose the right's coup in Paraguay. It is certainly understandable that the organization sees it as a threat to regional democracy and stability. What will Washington do about Fernando Lugo's ouster in Paraguay [image: PDF]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?format=pdf> [image: Print]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?tmpl=component&print=1&page=> [image: E-mail]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3Vwc2lkZWRvd253b3JsZC5vcmcvbWFpbi9uZXdzLWJyaWVmcy1hcmNoaXZlcy02OC8zNzAxLXdoYXQtd2lsbC13YXNoaW5ndG9uLWRvLWFib3V0LWZlcm5hbmRvLWx1Z29zLW91c3Rlci1pbi1wYXJhZ3VheQ%3D%3D> Written by Mark Weisbrot Friday, 22 June 2012 16:04 Source: The Guardian Unlimited, Comment Is Free<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/22/washington-fernando-lugo-ouster-paraguay> A coup d'etat is taking place right now, Friday afternoon, in Paraguay<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/paraguay> . That is how it has been described by a number of neighboring governments. And the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is treating it as such, taking it very seriously. All 12 foreign ministers (including those of Brazil and Argentina, who are deeply concerned) flew to Asunción Thursday night<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jwCq6qb6LnqU6VZNoHCOj9VAWuKA?docId=CNG.23b55594da20e9ee77ce182e8cda1109.2f1>to meet with the government, as well as the opposition in Paraguay's Congress. The Congress of Paraguay is trying to oust the president, Fernando Lugo, by means of an impeachment proceeding for which he was given less than 24 hours to prepare and only two hours to present a defense. It appears that a decision to convict him has already been written, and will be presented Friday evening (at 20.30 GMT). It would be impossible to call this due process under any circumstances, but it is also a clear violation of Article 17 of Paraguay's constitution<http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Paraguay/para1992.html>, which provides for the right to an adequate defense. The politics of the situation are clear enough. Paraguay was controlled for 61 years by the rightwing Colorado party. For most of this time (1947-1989), the country was ruled by dictatorship. President Lugo, a former Catholic bishop from the tradition of liberation theology who had fought for the rights of the poor, was elected in 2008, but did not win majority backing in the Congress. He put together a coalition government, but the right including the media has never really accepted his presidency. I met Fernando Lugo in early 2009, and I was impressed with his patience and long-term strategy. He said that given the strength of the institutions aligned against him, he did not expect to gain all that much in the present; he was fighting so that the next generation could have a better life. But the opposition to him was ruthless. In November of 2009, he had to fire his top military officers<http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-04/world/paraguay.president.fernando.lugo_1_rumors-commanders-coup?_s=PM:WORLD>because of credible reports that they were conspiring with the political opposition. The main trigger for the impeachment is an armed clash between peasants fighting for land rights with police, which left at least 17 dead, including seven police officers. The land in dispute was claimed by the landless workers to have been illegally obtained by a Colorado party politician<http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/15/3660239/paraguay-17-killed-in-violent.html>. But this violent confrontation is merely a pretext, as it is clear that the president had no responsibility for what happened. Nor have Lugo's opponents presented any evidence for their charges in today's "trial". President Lugo proposed an investigation into the incident; the opposition was not interested, preferring their rigged judicial proceedings. Lugo's election was one of many across South America Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Honduras<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/honduras>, Nicaragua, El Salvador in which left governments were elected over the past 14 years, changing the political geography<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/new-regional-organization-is-a-big-step-forward-for-the-hemisphere>of the hemisphere. With that, came increasing political unity on regional issues especially in confronting the United States<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa>, which had previously prevented left governments from coming to power or governing. So, it is not surprising to see the immediate and urgent response by South American countries to this coup attempt, which they see as a threat to their democracies. UNASUR Secretary General Ali Rodriguez insisted Lugo must be given "due process" and the right to defend himself. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador said that UNASUR could refuse to recognize the next government in accordance with a democracy clause in UNASUR's charter. Correa was also one of the staunchest opponents of the coup three years ago in Honduras, which ousted democratic left President Mel Zelaya. Honduras continues to suffer<http://www.thenation.com/article/167994/honduras-which-side-us>from extreme violence, including the murder of journalists and political opponents, under the regime that was established under the coup<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/honduras-needs-help-from-the-south> . Zelaya's ouster was a turning point for relations between the US and Latin America, as governments including Brazil and Argentina, which had previously hoped that President Obama would depart from the policies of his predecessor were rudely disappointed. The Obama administration<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/obama-administration>made conflicting statements about the Honduras coup, and then in opposition to the rest of the hemisphere did everything it could to make sure that the coup succeeded<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-weisbrot/top-ten-ways-you-can-tell_b_394347.html>. This included blocking, within the OAS, efforts by South American nations to restore democracy in Honduras. At the latest Summit of the Americas, Obama in contrast to the summit of early 2009 was as isolated as his predecessor George W Bush had been. The Obama administration has responded to the current crisis in Paraguay with a statement in support of due process. Perhaps, they have learned something from Honduras and will not actively oppose efforts by South America to support democracy this time. And certainly, South America will not allow Washington to hijack any mediation process, if there is one as Hillary Clinton <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/hillaryclinton> did with the OAS in Honduras. But Washington may still play its traditional role by assuring the opposition that the new government will have support, including financial and military, from Washington. We will watch what happens. It remains to be seen what more UNASUR will do to oppose the right's coup in Paraguay. It is certainly understandable that the organization sees it as a threat to regional democracy and stability. What will Washington do about Fernando Lugo's ouster in Paraguay [image: PDF]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?format=pdf> [image: Print]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?tmpl=component&print=1&page=> [image: E-mail]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3Vwc2lkZWRvd253b3JsZC5vcmcvbWFpbi9uZXdzLWJyaWVmcy1hcmNoaXZlcy02OC8zNzAxLXdoYXQtd2lsbC13YXNoaW5ndG9uLWRvLWFib3V0LWZlcm5hbmRvLWx1Z29zLW91c3Rlci1pbi1wYXJhZ3VheQ%3D%3D> Written by Mark Weisbrot Friday, 22 June 2012 16:04 Source: The Guardian Unlimited, Comment Is Free<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/22/washington-fernando-lugo-ouster-paraguay> A coup d'etat is taking place right now, Friday afternoon, in Paraguay<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/paraguay> . That is how it has been described by a number of neighboring governments. And the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is treating it as such, taking it very seriously. All 12 foreign ministers (including those of Brazil and Argentina, who are deeply concerned) flew to Asunción Thursday night<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jwCq6qb6LnqU6VZNoHCOj9VAWuKA?docId=CNG.23b55594da20e9ee77ce182e8cda1109.2f1>to meet with the government, as well as the opposition in Paraguay's Congress. The Congress of Paraguay is trying to oust the president, Fernando Lugo, by means of an impeachment proceeding for which he was given less than 24 hours to prepare and only two hours to present a defense. It appears that a decision to convict him has already been written, and will be presented Friday evening (at 20.30 GMT). It would be impossible to call this due process under any circumstances, but it is also a clear violation of Article 17 of Paraguay's constitution<http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Paraguay/para1992.html>, which provides for the right to an adequate defense. The politics of the situation are clear enough. Paraguay was controlled for 61 years by the rightwing Colorado party. For most of this time (1947-1989), the country was ruled by dictatorship. President Lugo, a former Catholic bishop from the tradition of liberation theology who had fought for the rights of the poor, was elected in 2008, but did not win majority backing in the Congress. He put together a coalition government, but the right including the media has never really accepted his presidency. I met Fernando Lugo in early 2009, and I was impressed with his patience and long-term strategy. He said that given the strength of the institutions aligned against him, he did not expect to gain all that much in the present; he was fighting so that the next generation could have a better life. But the opposition to him was ruthless. In November of 2009, he had to fire his top military officers<http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-04/world/paraguay.president.fernando.lugo_1_rumors-commanders-coup?_s=PM:WORLD>because of credible reports that they were conspiring with the political opposition. The main trigger for the impeachment is an armed clash between peasants fighting for land rights with police, which left at least 17 dead, including seven police officers. The land in dispute was claimed by the landless workers to have been illegally obtained by a Colorado party politician<http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/15/3660239/paraguay-17-killed-in-violent.html>. But this violent confrontation is merely a pretext, as it is clear that the president had no responsibility for what happened. Nor have Lugo's opponents presented any evidence for their charges in today's "trial". President Lugo proposed an investigation into the incident; the opposition was not interested, preferring their rigged judicial proceedings. Lugo's election was one of many across South America Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Honduras<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/honduras>, Nicaragua, El Salvador in which left governments were elected over the past 14 years, changing the political geography<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/new-regional-organization-is-a-big-step-forward-for-the-hemisphere>of the hemisphere. With that, came increasing political unity on regional issues especially in confronting the United States<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa>, which had previously prevented left governments from coming to power or governing. So, it is not surprising to see the immediate and urgent response by South American countries to this coup attempt, which they see as a threat to their democracies. UNASUR Secretary General Ali Rodriguez insisted Lugo must be given "due process" and the right to defend himself. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador said that UNASUR could refuse to recognize the next government in accordance with a democracy clause in UNASUR's charter. Correa was also one of the staunchest opponents of the coup three years ago in Honduras, which ousted democratic left President Mel Zelaya. Honduras continues to suffer<http://www.thenation.com/article/167994/honduras-which-side-us>from extreme violence, including the murder of journalists and political opponents, under the regime that was established under the coup<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/honduras-needs-help-from-the-south> . Zelaya's ouster was a turning point for relations between the US and Latin America, as governments including Brazil and Argentina, which had previously hoped that President Obama would depart from the policies of his predecessor were rudely disappointed. The Obama administration<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/obama-administration>made conflicting statements about the Honduras coup, and then in opposition to the rest of the hemisphere did everything it could to make sure that the coup succeeded<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-weisbrot/top-ten-ways-you-can-tell_b_394347.html>. This included blocking, within the OAS, efforts by South American nations to restore democracy in Honduras. At the latest Summit of the Americas, Obama in contrast to the summit of early 2009 was as isolated as his predecessor George W Bush had been. The Obama administration has responded to the current crisis in Paraguay with a statement in support of due process. Perhaps, they have learned something from Honduras and will not actively oppose efforts by South America to support democracy this time. And certainly, South America will not allow Washington to hijack any mediation process, if there is one as Hillary Clinton <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/hillaryclinton> did with the OAS in Honduras. But Washington may still play its traditional role by assuring the opposition that the new government will have support, including financial and military, from Washington. We will watch what happens. It remains to be seen what more UNASUR will do to oppose the right's coup in Paraguay. It is certainly understandable that the organization sees it as a threat to regional democracy and stability. Fernando Lugo was ousted Friday as president of Paraguay after a whirlwind impeach process What will Washington do about Fernando Lugo's ouster in Paraguay [image: PDF]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?format=pdf> [image: Print]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3701-what-will-washington-do-about-fernando-lugos-ouster-in-paraguay?tmpl=component&print=1&page=> [image: E-mail]<http://upsidedownworld.org/main/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3Vwc2lkZWRvd253b3JsZC5vcmcvbWFpbi9uZXdzLWJyaWVmcy1hcmNoaXZlcy02OC8zNzAxLXdoYXQtd2lsbC13YXNoaW5ndG9uLWRvLWFib3V0LWZlcm5hbmRvLWx1Z29zLW91c3Rlci1pbi1wYXJhZ3VheQ%3D%3D> Written by Mark Weisbrot Friday, 22 June 2012 16:04 Source: The Guardian Unlimited, Comment Is Free<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/22/washington-fernando-lugo-ouster-paraguay> A coup d'etat is taking place right now, Friday afternoon, in Paraguay<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/paraguay> . That is how it has been described by a number of neighboring governments. And the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is treating it as such, taking it very seriously. All 12 foreign ministers (including those of Brazil and Argentina, who are deeply concerned) flew to Asunción Thursday night<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jwCq6qb6LnqU6VZNoHCOj9VAWuKA?docId=CNG.23b55594da20e9ee77ce182e8cda1109.2f1>to meet with the government, as well as the opposition in Paraguay's Congress. The Congress of Paraguay is trying to oust the president, Fernando Lugo, by means of an impeachment proceeding for which he was given less than 24 hours to prepare and only two hours to present a defense. It appears that a decision to convict him has already been written, and will be presented Friday evening (at 20.30 GMT). It would be impossible to call this due process under any circumstances, but it is also a clear violation of Article 17 of Paraguay's constitution<http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Paraguay/para1992.html>, which provides for the right to an adequate defense. The politics of the situation are clear enough. Paraguay was controlled for 61 years by the rightwing Colorado party. For most of this time (1947-1989), the country was ruled by dictatorship. President Lugo, a former Catholic bishop from the tradition of liberation theology who had fought for the rights of the poor, was elected in 2008, but did not win majority backing in the Congress. He put together a coalition government, but the right including the media has never really accepted his presidency. I met Fernando Lugo in early 2009, and I was impressed with his patience and long-term strategy. He said that given the strength of the institutions aligned against him, he did not expect to gain all that much in the present; he was fighting so that the next generation could have a better life. But the opposition to him was ruthless. In November of 2009, he had to fire his top military officers<http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-04/world/paraguay.president.fernando.lugo_1_rumors-commanders-coup?_s=PM:WORLD>because of credible reports that they were conspiring with the political opposition. The main trigger for the impeachment is an armed clash between peasants fighting for land rights with police, which left at least 17 dead, including seven police officers. The land in dispute was claimed by the landless workers to have been illegally obtained by a Colorado party politician<http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/15/3660239/paraguay-17-killed-in-violent.html>. But this violent confrontation is merely a pretext, as it is clear that the president had no responsibility for what happened. Nor have Lugo's opponents presented any evidence for their charges in today's "trial". President Lugo proposed an investigation into the incident; the opposition was not interested, preferring their rigged judicial proceedings. Lugo's election was one of many across South America Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Honduras<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/honduras>, Nicaragua, El Salvador in which left governments were elected over the past 14 years, changing the political geography<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/new-regional-organization-is-a-big-step-forward-for-the-hemisphere>of the hemisphere. With that, came increasing political unity on regional issues especially in confronting the United States<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa>, which had previously prevented left governments from coming to power or governing. So, it is not surprising to see the immediate and urgent response by South American countries to this coup attempt, which they see as a threat to their democracies. UNASUR Secretary General Ali Rodriguez insisted Lugo must be given "due process" and the right to defend himself. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador said that UNASUR could refuse to recognize the next government in accordance with a democracy clause in UNASUR's charter. Correa was also one of the staunchest opponents of the coup three years ago in Honduras, which ousted democratic left President Mel Zelaya. Honduras continues to suffer<http://www.thenation.com/article/167994/honduras-which-side-us>from extreme violence, including the murder of journalists and political opponents, under the regime that was established under the coup<http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/honduras-needs-help-from-the-south> . Zelaya's ouster was a turning point for relations between the US and Latin America, as governments including Brazil and Argentina, which had previously hoped that President Obama would depart from the policies of his predecessor were rudely disappointed. The Obama administration<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/obama-administration>made conflicting statements about the Honduras coup, and then in opposition to the rest of the hemisphere did everything it could to make sure that the coup succeeded<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-weisbrot/top-ten-ways-you-can-tell_b_394347.html>. This included blocking, within the OAS, efforts by South American nations to restore democracy in Honduras. At the latest Summit of the Americas, Obama in contrast to the summit of early 2009 was as isolated as his predecessor George W Bush had been. The Obama administration has responded to the current crisis in Paraguay with a statement in support of due process. Perhaps, they have learned something from Honduras and will not actively oppose efforts by South America to support democracy this time. And certainly, South America will not allow Washington to hijack any mediation process, if there is one as Hillary Clinton <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/hillaryclinton> did with the OAS in Honduras. But Washington may still play its traditional role by assuring the opposition that the new government will have support, including financial and military, from Washington. We will watch what happens. It remains to be seen what more UNASUR will do to oppose the right's coup in Paraguay. It is certainly understandable that the organization sees it as a threat to regional democracy and stability. Venezuela Decries Attempted Coup in Paraguay, UNASUR Requests President's Defense Guarantees Jun 22nd 2012, by AVN / Prensa Latina [image: Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo in court today (AFP, Jorge Romero)] Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo in court today (AFP, Jorge Romero) The secretary general of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Alí Rodríguez of Venezuela, said yesterday that guarantees ensuring a proper defense should be established in the proceedings against Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo. Rodríguez said that due process must be respected in the case against the head of state, including providing the necessary time to prepare his defense. The head of UNASUR and the foreign ministers of member states met Thursday night with President Lugo to analyze the destabilization attempts against his government. The Paraguayan parliament, controlled by right-wing parties, approved a political trial against the head of state, a measure Lugo has called unconstitutional. In declarations reported on by the news agency IP, UNASUR chief Rodríguez said that UNASURs greatest concern is the legitimate exercise of democracy, and within that, that there be a guiding principal of the administration of justice and conditions, [which is] absolutely indispensable. Rodríguez explained that UNASUR member states respect the sovereignty of Paraguay but that the problems concerning democracy in that country affect all of South America. He said he will meet with diverse political sectors in Paraguay to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict. Paraguays congress requested yesterday, with 76 votes in favor and 1 against, a political trial against the president to attempt to link him to clashes last week in Curuguatay in which 11 farmers and six police officers were killed. President Lugo will present his defense before Parliament at noon today. Afterward, evidence will be brought forward at 2:30 in the afternoon, allegations will be heard an hour later and sentencing will take place at 4:30. *Venezuelan Government Reaction* Vice-president Elias Jaua described the attempt by the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay to topple President Fernando Lugo as a new attack sourcing from the bourgeoisie and the United States. During a ceremony to deliver resources to the state of Miranda, Jaua denounced the sectors trying to weaken the South American revolutionary process. "The battle of the Paraguayan people is that of the Venezuelans, and we are committed to thwart this new attempt by the oligarchies and imperialism as we did in Venezuela in 2002, and also when they tried to topple Evo Morales (Bolivia) and Rafael Correa (Ecuador)," he said. In Jauas opinion, it is all about the struggle of the peoples and governments so that the will of the peoples of the region is respected and about "letting imperialism know that our Latin America is no longer their backyard," he said. "Here we have a people and a government ready to defend the sovereignty and independence of all the countries in the region," stressed Jaua. ------------------------------ *Source URL (retrieved on 22/06/2012 - 7:33pm):* http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/7068 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
