For democracy in Paraguay, Latin America and the world

Once again, the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE) come to public in solidarity with the people of Paraguay, against the coup moved by the Paraguayan congress which ousted its democratically elected president. The determination of the people, a fundamental principle of human rights and democracies around the world, has been radically violated.

Fernando Lugo had four charges, 16 hours to prepare his defense just 2 hours to defense. The constitutional deadline to respond to the charges is 18 days. The action of unconstitutionality against Lugo moved in the Supreme Court of Paraguay was denied. In this context, not surprisingly, the fourth charge to Lugo was about his decision to ratify the II Ushuaia Protocol, of December 2011, which provides external intervention in the event that a democracy is in danger.

The Paraguayan citizens had gone to the streets vibrant and mobilized, demonstrating their growing pulse for fighting for the consolidation of an active and participative democracy in the country. We join to this fight from all over Latin America and the Caribbean, renewing our commitment and brotherhood. We do not settle for what happened and that anger will further boost our collective action towards the strengthening of citizenship and democracy in our region and the world.