Paraguay’s congress has been set on fire amid violent protests against a bill that would let the president seek re-election.
The head of the main opposition party said an activist had been shot dead.
Paraguay’s 1992 constitution, introduced after 35 years of dictatorship, limits the president to a single five-year term.
However, sitting President Horacio Cartes is trying to remove the restriction and run for re-election.
Demonstrators were photographed smashing in windows of the congress building in Asuncion on March 31 and setting fire to the interior.
According to the AFP, protesters “ransacked” the offices of those who backed the bill.
Police used mounted units, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Local media reports said dozens of people had been injured, including protesters, politicians, and police officers.
Image source Getty
The head of Paraguay’s opposition Liberal party, Efrain Alegre, said a young man had been killed during the protests. Police are yet to confirm this.
In a statement released on Twitter, President Horacio Cartes appealed for calm.
He said: “Democracy is not conquered or defended with violence and you can be sure this government will continue to put its best effort into maintaining order in the republic.”
The attorney general’s office said it had followed the events closely and was investigating the violence.
Earlier, the crowd took to the streets following a private meeting of 25 senators – a slight majority of the house – which approved a bill to amend the constitution.
The bill must also be approved by the other house of parliament – the chamber of deputies – where Horacio Cartes’ party holds a majority.
The chamber’s president, Hugo Velázquez, told ABC Color that the sitting planned for the following morning would no longer take place and no decision would be made on April 1.
Opponents say the bill will weaken Paraguay‘s democratic institutions.
Opposition senator Desiree Masi said: “A coup has been carried out. We will resist and we invite the people to resist with us.”
Paraguay was controlled by military ruler General Alfredo Stroessner, who seized power in a coup, from 1954 until 1989.
The new constitution in 1992 created the modern government, but there has been a long period of political instability and party infighting, as well as a failed coup attempt.
President Horacio Cartes’ term is due to end in 2018.
The change, if approved, would also allow former president Fernando Lugo to run again.
Fernando Lugo was ousted in 2012 over his handling of a land eviction in which 17 people were killed.
Horacio Cartes has been sworn in as the president of Paraguay in a ceremony in the capital, Asuncion.
In his inaugural speech, multi-millionaire businessman Horacio Cartes, of the centre-right Colorado Party, promised to wage war on poverty.
Paraguay is one of the poorest countries in South America.
Horacio Cartes, a relative newcomer to politics who had not voted before 2008, was elected with 45.8% of the ballots in April.
He defeated his closest rival, the Liberal Efrain Alegre, by nine percentage points.
“I’m not in politics to make a career of it or become wealthier,” Horacio Cartes, who is one of Paraguay’s richest men, said.
“I’m in politics to serve my people, improve the future of new generations and treasure our identity as a free, independent and sovereign people,” he added.
He also promised to “put the fatherland first” and to “create opportunities for all” to combat Paraguay’s rampant inequality.
Horacio Cartes, a relative newcomer to politics who had not voted before 2008, was elected with 45.8 percent of the ballots in April
Horacio Cartes had campaigned on a platform of poverty reduction and job creation.
Choosing his cabinet, he broke with the established tradition of naming senior party members to key posts, instead choosing technocrats and business people.
His Colorado Party was in power for 60 years and played a key part in supporting the military rule of General Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 to 1989.
In 2008, it was beaten by a left-wing coalition headed by Fernando Lugo.
Fernando Lugo was controversially impeached by Congress over his handling of a land eviction in which 17 people died.
The impeachment process took less than 48 hours and was deemed unfair by many of Paraguay’s neighbors and led to the country’s exclusion from the Mercosur trading bloc.
The presidents of the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela) said in July that they would lift the suspension after Horacio Cartes’ inauguration.
However, Paraguay said it would not return to the Mercosur fold as long as Venezuela held its rotating presidency.
Paraguay has objected to Venezuela’s inclusion in the trading bloc.
Asuncion says that a new member can only be included after a unanimous vote and argues that such a vote should not have been held while Paraguay was suspended.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was not invited to Horacio Cartes’ inauguration.
Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga said he would rather deal with Paraguay’s neighbors individually at first.
“We have pending issues with Argentina, with Uruguay; we have to recompose all that,” he said.
“Mercosur will be later because our priority is the bilateral relations,” he added.
Venezuela holds Mercosur’s rotating presidency until July 2014.
Horacio Cartes has been elected as the new president of Paraguay.
Wealthy businessman and political newcomer Horacio Cartes beat the Liberal Party’s Efrain Alegre by nine percentage points.
The result restores the Colorado Party to power after its defeat by the left-wing candidate Fernando Lugo in 2008.
Horacio Cartes faces the challenge of fighting high levels of poverty and of ending the country’s isolation in the region following last year’s disputed impeachment of President Fernando Lugo.
Regional bodies Mercosur and Unasur suspended Paraguay over the issue.
Horacio Cartes won 45.8% of the votes, compared to 36.9% for Efrain Alegre of the governing Liberal Party. Efrain Alegre conceded defeat shortly after the results were announced.
In his victory speech, Horacio Cartes said that that he would lead Paraguay in “a new direction”.
With tears in his eyes and the Paraguayan flag wrapped around his neck, Horacio Cartes said he would be the president of all Paraguayans.
“I didn’t come to work alone, this country is going to make strong progress once we all realize we have to work together,” he said.
Horacio Cartes has been elected as the new president of Paraguay
Horacio Cartes is a newcomer to politics, who only joined the Colorado Party in 2009.
He is a powerful businessman with controlling stakes in dozens of companies, including a bank, Paraguay’s largest tobacco company and a variety of agricultural businesses.
He is also the chairman of Libertador Football Club, which won last year’s Paraguayan championship.
Horacio Cartes was inspired to join politics in 2009 because he was “disappointed and restless about the political course of Paraguay under a left-oriented-Chavista-inspired government”, he said, referring to the government of President Fernando Lugo and its closeness to the late leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.
During his campaign, Horacio Cartes had to confront accusations of fraud and links with drug trafficking.
He dismissed them all, saying that while he had spent time in prison on allegations of fraud in 1989, all charges against him had eventually been dropped.
Horacio Cartes has also been accused of homophobia after telling a radio station that talk of legalizing same-sex marriage made him think of “the end of the world”.
Fellow Colorado members have described him as “efficient” and determined to give the Colorado Party a “fresh start”.
The party, which came to power in 1947, governed Paraguay for 60 years. It played a key part in supporting the military rule of General Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 to 1989.
In 2008, it was beaten by a left-wing coalition headed by Fernando Lugo.
Fernando Lugo was controversially impeached in June 2012.
The move followed a land eviction at a farm that led to the deaths of 11 farmers and six police officers.
The incident sparked a nationwide outcry and the opposition declared President Fernando Lugo responsible.
Fernando Lugo was replaced by Vice-President Federico Franco of the Liberal Party in less than 48 hours.
Neighboring countries recalled their diplomats calling the impeachment a “congressional coup”.
Paraguay was suspended from regional trade organization Mercosur and Unasur.
Horacio Cartes said he would make rejoining them one of his priorities.
On Monday, Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, who currently holds the rotating presidency of Mercosur, invited Horacio Cortes to attend the next Mercosur meeting in June.
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