Paraguay votes to elect successor to Lugo

[Judi Lynn]

8. Worth taking a long hard squint at this:

Latin America resists coup in Paraguay
By Berta Joubert-Ceci
Published Jun 27, 2012 9:28 PM

~snip~
Role of U.S. government
& transnational agribusiness

According to a report Wikileaks released, the U.S. Embassy knew of the possibilities of a coup against Lugo as early as 2009. The report shows that then Vice President Franco spoke with the U.S. ambassador about the possibility of a coup and about his disagreement with Lugo. (elintransigente.com, June 25)

In another concession to the right-wing, Lugo nominated Rubén Candia from the Colorado Party to replace Filizzola as interior minister after the June 15 massacre. Candia was justice minister under right-wing President Nicanor Duarte (2003-2008).

In the article “Monsanto golpea en Paraguay: Los muertos de Curuguaty y el juicio político a Lugo” (“Monsanto hits Paraguay: The dead of Curuguaty and the political trial of Lugo”) published at ­rebelion.org, Paraguayan political journalist and author of the book “Los Herederos de Stroessner” (“Stroessner’s Heirs”) Idilio Méndez Grimaldi wrote that Candia was “accused of having promoted repression against leaders of peasant organizations and popular movements. Candia’s nomination to ­Attorney General in 2005 was approved by the then Ambassador of the United States, John F. Keen. Candia was responsible for an increased control by USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development)of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and was accused in the early days of his government by Fernando Lugo for conspiring against him to remove him from office.”

The U.S.-based transnational giant Monsanto is implicated in the events in Paraguay. Monsanto planned to introduce a genetically modified seed for commercial use in the country. Under Lugo’s administration, Paraguay’s National Service for Plants and Seeds Quality and Health (SENAVE) refused to approve the seed’s use.

The right-wing oligarchs favor the dissemination of Monsanto seeds, while the peasantry has been demonstrating against it. The Union of Associations of Producers, a landowners group tied to Monsanto, was preparing a demonstration for June 25 against Lugo to benefit the giant transnational and the “liberalization” of its genetically modified seeds. Obviously, they do not need to protest at this point.

More:
http://www.workers.org/2012/world/paraguay_0705/