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DOWN WITH THE COUP! We support the people of Paraguay - O Trabalho

DOWN WITH THE COUP!

We support the people of Paraguay

The Paraguayan Senate yesterday [June 22] completed a coup d'etat in deposing the elected president, Fernando Lugo, during a 32-hour farce of a "constitutional trial."

Only nine months away from the next elections, the formal accusations against Lugo -- allowing demonstrations by the army's youth, subjecting the military to the "carperos" (landless workers), doing little to fight armed groups in the countryside and, as well, "bad performance" -- confirm the social content of his ouster. In fact, the episode that led to the deaths of 11 "carperos" and six policemen was only a pretext.

It was rather a coup by the landowning oligarchy with support from U.S. imperialism. It was right that the Brazilian government, as well as the Workers' Party (PT) and the Confederation of Workers (CUT), denounced the coup.

Yesterday, a few hours after the coup, the spokesman for the U.S. State Department declared, "The United States recognizes the senate vote for 'impeachment'" and cynically asked the people to remain "calm." The Paraguayan bishops even demanded Lugo's resignation!

Despite the arrival of a dozen chancellors from the UNASUR countries (Union of South American Nations), led by the Brazilian "patriot" minister, to "mediate the conflict," the United States recognized Federico Franco, the vice president of the Liberal Party. Franco, elected by the same electoral alliance as Lugo (which defeated the Colorado Party that had governed the country for decades), is now the instrument of both parties, which united to carry out the coup.

Nevertheless, Lugo was victimized by his own policy of "colligation" (or coalition) with the oligarchs and employers, delivering his office without calling on the resistance of the thousands who waited in Congress Square. For the people, the coup means the installation of a government openly hostile to their demands -- that of beginning the agrarian reform that Lugo had not yet carried out.

A WARNING TO THE BRAZILIAN PEOPLE AND ALL OF LATIN AMERICA

WARNING: In 2009, a coup in Honduras deposed democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. It was initially condemned by the governments in the region, but later, under pressure from the United States, it was accepted by the OAS (Organization of American States).

WARNING: The Brazilian government of Dilma Rousseff has not yet recognized the new government, as is the case with other governments (*).

WARNING: When peoples confirm their will to recover their sovereignty and to control their national riches with agrarian reform and nationalizations, they only can count on their own forces to bring to fruition their social and national aspirations.

Today, June 23, the streets of the capital city of Asuncion are deserted, the buses aren't running, businesses are closed and classes have been suspended. Yesterday, 10,000 protesters in the plaza near Congress Square, who had been brought together by CUT-Auténtica (among other organizations), decided, before breaking up, to form the Front for the Defense of Democracy. The front, composed of organizations of farmers, unions, students and the "homeless" will organize the resistance, including general strikes and land occupations.

ALL SUPPORT FOR THE FIGHT OF THE PARAGUAYAN PEOPLE AGAINST THE COUP!

Sao Paulo, Brazil -- June 23, 2012 @ 3 p.m.

Executive Committee of the O Trabalho current of the Workers Party (PT)

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(*) In a note from the Ministry of External Relations - known as Itamaraty - the Brazilian government that night condemned the dismissal and recalled its ambassador to Paraguay.

Tags: Paraguay, Solidarity

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