Dear sisters....

In solidarity with the Paraguayan women and people, the World March of Women joins the international condemnation of the latest attack on their country’s democratic construction process. On the 22nd June Fernando Lugo – legitimately elected President in 2008 – was impeached following a political trial recognised as a parliamentary coup d’état, a process widely supported by the press linked to the local oligarchy. In the Americas continent, we experienced a very similar situation in Honduras, exactly three years ago. We call on the WMW National Coordinating Bodies to express our solidarity and support towards the pacific resistance of the Paraguayan people, especially our sisters. We invite you to organise street actions in front of our parliaments, national governments, and the Paraguayan diplomatic representations in our countries, in order to demand: The NON recognition of Federico Franco as President of the Republic, due to his seizure of power through the manipulation of the Paraguayan National Constitution and the resulting violation of the institutional democracy installed in the country since 2008; The immediate return of Fernando Lugo to his presidential functions; The adoption of political and commercial sanctions until the legitimately elected government is reinstated; The guarantee of the Paraguayan people’s right to demonstrate against the coup, a right that is under constant threat from the authorities, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, the police and the public prosecutors. We demand explanations for the deaths that took place in the Curuguaty district on the 15th June, a tragedy that has been manipulated in order to legitimise the trial against Lugo. We call for a transparent, effective and impartial investigation – with the support of international human rights missions – that allows all the weight of the law to fall on those responsible. We condemn and denounce the actions of Paraguayan press, in their concerted effort to un- inform, intoxicate the minds and silence the voices of the people. Their aim is to instil fear within, and thus demobilise, the population, as it was during the Stroessner dictatorship and the successive conservative, Colorado party, governments that followed it. We invite you all to demonstrate against this violation of the Paraguayan people’s rights, and to disseminate this call to action. Please also share information produced by the Paraguayan People’s Resistance Front: http://paraguayresiste.com/ (in Spanish) and grassroots media channels such as Radio Mundo Real (www.radiomundoreal.fm), TV ALBA (www.albatv.org), and “Minga Informativa de los movimientos sociales” (www.movimientos.org) (all in Spanish). Women on the march until we are all free! 27th June 2012 Please, send news on actions in your country to the email: communication@marchemondiale.org Click to read this text at the WMW website.

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