Andres Oppenheimer
Excuse my impertinence, but
They have remained silent before so many violations of democratic rights in
Many Latin American countries' selective defense of democracy - raising hell when right-of-center leaders trample on democratic freedoms, but remaining silent when left-of-center leaders do it - has resulted in a steady erosion of democratic values.
Indeed, article 225 of the constitution allows
But critics note - accurately - that the procedure didn't follow due process because the president wasn't given enough time to prepare his defense. While the constitution's impeachment article doesn't specify how much time the president should be given to prepare his defense, other articles say that every individual has a right to "indispensable time to prepare the defense."
Lugo had requested 18 days, but was given only two hours.
The Paraguayan legislators who orchestrated Lugo's forced departure must have felt that their lack of respect for due process was a minor peccadillo compared to the gross violations of democratic rights that are taking place in other countries, without any diplomatic consequences.
In
Most international observers agreed that Ortega's reelection bid was prohibited under Article 147 of the Nicaraguan Constitution. It bars presidents from being reelected to a consecutive term, or to more than two terms. But Ortega got loyalist Sandinista judges to issue a
Likewise, there was no formal Latin American outcry when Venezuelan President
Neither was there a regional outcry when Chavez silenced the independent RCTV television network, or when he violated the will of the Venezuelan voters who in 2008 elected opposition candidate
In
And
At the recent Summit of the Americas between most Latin American leaders and President
Oddly enough,
My opinion: The ouster of Lugo was wrong, and - although not as clearly unconstitutional as the 2009 coup in
But the selective outrage of
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