Inter-American Commission of Human Rights urges for investigation into death of Vidal Vega; internal elections for the Colorado party fail to attract voters; national footballer’s death sparks controversy
Vidal Vega found dead
Vidal Vega, leader of the ‘Campesinos sin tierra’ (landless peasants) movement involved in the evacuation attempt which prompted the Curuguaty massacre in June, was killed when two unidentified men shot at him four times outside his home on 2 December.
On 17 June, a confrontation between the self-denominated ‘carperos’ (tent dwellers) and local police forces quickly escalated leaving 17 dead. The massacre took place on the privately owned land of ex Senator for the Colorado Party, Blas Riquelme, in Curuguaty, eastern Paraguay.
Twelve people, mostly campesinos, were arrested in connection with the massacre but their detention has been the subject of widespread controversy, particularly owing to the recent 60 day hunger strike undertaken by four of the imprisoned, who continue to maintain their innocence.
This claim has added fuel to the fires of conspiracy theorists, who have accused the current government of orchestrating the confrontation as a means of destabilising the presidency of Fernando Lugo, who was subsequently impeached on 22 June for his alleged ‘mishandling’ of the tragedy. The event attracted worldwide news coverage.
Vega, 48, was expected to appear in court as a key witness of the massacre due to the fact that he was absent when the confrontation took place. Therefore, he was one of the only few members of his group not to be killed during the tragedy or detained as a result of it.
In response to Vega’s death, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the murder and urged the Paraguayan government to carry out a full investigation into the incident and ensure that it protects the safety of all human rights defenders.
Vega, a well known representative of the ‘Campesinos sin tierra’ movement, in known nationally for his involvement in various protests calling for the redistribution of various plots of land in the eastern region of Canindeyú.
The group maintain that the distribution of land in Paraguay is largely undocumented, predominantly awarded as favours to friends of the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner between 1953 and 1989.
Colorado Party internal elections register 30% turnout
On 9 December, internal elections to determine the candidates to represent the Asociación Nacional Republicana (National Republican Assocation- ANR), commonly referred to as the Colorado Party, in the 2013 elections, registered a voter participation of just 30%.
In the elections, votes were placed for the candidates for the positions of legislators, regional representatives and governors as well as for the presidential candidate who will represent the party in the general election on 21 April 2013.
The race for the position of presidential candidate was a close call between two factions of the party: Honor Colorado, represented by the controversial businessman, Horacio Cartes, and Frente para la Victoria, represented by Javier Zacarías Irún.
In the end, Cartes swung a majority of 62.8%.
Cartes has long been associated with illegal activities, in particular concerning multiple allegations of his companies’ involvement in drug trafficking. In October, a Wikileaks cable also linked him to activities of money laundering.
The election next year is expected to attract a great deal of interest worldwide, owing to the extensive international coverage of Lugo’s ousting in June, which led to the country’s suspension from the regional trading bloc Mercosur, and the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).
Death of Diego Mendieta sparks controversy
The death of Paraguayan footballer, Diego Mendieta, on 3 December, has prompted a row between the global players’ union and the Indonesian club where he had been playing.
Mendieta reportedly died of the ‘easily treatable’ cytomegalovirus. It is reported that he was owed roughly US$12 500 by Persis Solo club at the time of his death, the financial burden of which had rendered him unable to return to Paraguay as he had desired.
The union will investigate the case before presenting it to the International Football Federation (FIFA).
