Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo says there will be no human rights abuses during state of emergency
Monday, April 26th, 2010[Translation of an article from TeleSUR for April 26 concerning the state of emergency the senate recently delared, at the president’s request, for part of the country. The object of the measure is to permit military action against the EPP, the Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo, Paraguayan People’s Army, a guerrilla group active in the region. In the meantime, Vice President Federico Franco, a political enemy of the president, has accused Lugo of deception, claiming the operation has a hidden purpose. See also "Paraguayan senate declares state of emergency" below.]
The president of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, promised on Monday that public forces will not commit any type of abuse during the 30-day state of emergency the senate has declared for five departments in the north of the country.
The president called on the citizenry to avoid comparing the measure to political actions of the past, like the states of siege imposed by the dictatorship, which sought only to sow fear.
“I want to make it clear, very clear, that no constitutional guarantee is suspended with this measure. People’s lives should go on in a normal way in the region in question while the state works on security operations… This is an emergency measure undertaken by a democratic government that is respectful of its citizens,” the leader declared. (more…)