The Director of SOTERMUN undertakes a solidarity mission to Paraguay.

From the 18 of July 2012, the Director of SOTERMUN-USO, Manuel Zaguirre, will be in Paraguay to express in situ solidarity with the workers and the Paraguayan people and to support the constitutionally elected president, Fernando Lugo, overthrown recently following a so-called “parliamentary coup”, unanimously condemned by Latin-American governments and all the Continent’s democratic organisations.

During his 7-day stay, Zaguirre will meet with President Lugo, the Paraguayan trade union centres, the political parties who oppose the “parliamentary coup”, human rights’ organisations and social bodies that work in cooperation with SOTERMUN, the media etc.

He will also take part in the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores-Autentica’s (CUT-A) Congress and the meetings of the Southern Cone Trade Union Steering Group (CCSCS) bringing together trade unions from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile which will take place in Paraguay and will organise on those dates various activities in support of democracy and against the “parliamentary coup”.

Finally, Zaguirre will open a nursery for 150 disadvantaged children in the San Pablo de Asunción Maternity and Children’s Hospital. The nursery was built by the UNTE (Unión Nacional de Trabajadores del Estado) a solidarity project for which SOTERMUN received support from the Community of Madrid in their 2010 Call for Projects.

Zaguirre’s visit to Paraguay will coincide with a high level European Parliament Delegation investigating the conditions under which President Lugo was deposed.

Madrid, 16 July 2012

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