Lugo's fate highlights Paraguay land issue

Lugo's fate highlights Paraguay land issue
Published on 24 June 2012 - 6:46pm

The lightning quick removal of Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo over a land dispute underscores bitter resentments here over land ownership, poverty and staggering inequality.

What exactly happened during the ill-fated June 15 operation to remove squatters from a sprawling farm owned by Blas Riquelme, a wealthy businessman, former senator and Lugo opponent, remains unclear.

We do know that six police officers and 11 landless peasant farmers died, and that Lugo, a 61-year-old former Roman Catholic priest, was removed from office just eight days later after his political enemies united to oust him.

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Colorado Party supremo Alfredo Stroessner ruled with an iron fist from 1954 to 1989, treating Paraguay as his own personal fiefdom and routinely rewarding allies with land during a tenure marked by cronyism and corruption.

Party cronies have amassed so much property that 80 percent of Paraguay's arable land is now owned by just two percent population, according to the official government figures.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/lugos-fate-highlights-paraguay-land-issue