From the BBC... now for something completely different...

Leftist president of Paraguay Impeached

'No coup'

Paraguay's Senate has voted to impeach left-wing President Fernando Lugo, forcing him to step down.

Both houses of Congress had voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died. Mr Lugo likened the move to a coup by the right wing-controlled parliament, but said he would accept the decision. Vice-President Federico Franco has already been sworn in as president. He will serve the remainder of Mr Lugo's five-year term, which ends in August 2013.

After previously trying to get the Supreme Court to stop the impeachment vote, the fallen president said he accepted "what the law has stated, even though the law was twisted". Calling on his supporters to remain calm, he added that "the history of Paraguay and its democracy have been deeply wounded".

Mr Lugo's 2008 election ended 61 years of rule by the right-wing Colorado party. The two main political parties, Colorado and Liberal, had put aside their differences and voted in favour of the motion to begin the impeachment trial. The Liberals are part of Mr Lugo's ruling coalition. In an appeal filed with Paraguay's Supreme Court on Friday, Mr Lugo's lawyers had said the proceedings do not ensure due process and that the president should have been granted more time to prepare.

A centre-right legislator, Carlos Maria, denied allegations of unconstitutionality. "There's nothing illegal here, there's no constitutional rupture, no coup," he told AP. The impeachment sparked clashes between police on horseback and supporters of Mr Lugo massed outside the National Congress building in the capital Asuncion.....

The Union of South American Nations has send an urgent mission of foreign ministers to Paraguay to "ensure the right to defend democracy".  Ecuador's President Rafael Correa warned that the regional bloc could invoke its "democracy clause" to sever ties with Paraguay and even close its borders if Mr Lugo is not tried according to "due process".

Comment by impertinent Cuban exile: Of course, neither Correa nor the other would-be leftist dictators give a #@!$%$#! hoot about the "democracy clause" or  "due process" in Castrolandia.  Come to think of it, neither does the BBC.

Paraguay's Senate has voted to impeach left-wing President Fernando Lugo, forcing him to step down.Continue reading the main story

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