Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:39 PM

Judi Lynn (77,677 posts)

Paraguay Opens Doors to Unregulated Foreign Investment

Source: Inter Press News Service

Paraguay Opens Doors to Unregulated Foreign Investment
By Natalia Ruiz Diaz

ASUNCION, Jul 27 2012 (IPS) - In his first month as president of Paraguay, Federico Franco has thrown open the doors of his country to foreign investments that have raised questions about environmental safety.

Among the measures taken by the new government were fast-track approval of the planting of transgenic cotton and authorisation of the construction of an aluminium plant.

Franco was named to replace Fernando Lugo after the centre-left former Catholic bishop was removed as president in a swift impeachment trial on Jun. 22. The government has failed to overcome its international isolation, having only been officially recognised by Taiwan and the Vatican.

“It is concerning that a government that was not elected by popular vote is giving the green light to these foreign investments, without any oversight or control,” Luis Rojas, an economist with BASE Investigaciones Sociales, a local non-governmental organisation, told IPS.

Read more: http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/07/paraguay-opens-doors-to-unregulated-foreign-investment/

14 replies, 1959 views

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14 replies	Author	Time	Post
Paraguay Opens Doors to Unregulated Foreign Investment (Original post)	Judi Lynn	Jul 2012	OP
Some are still claiming they didn't have a coup? The plundering and pillaging is just starting.	freshwest	Jul 2012	#1
What happened to the land reform the peasantry fought so ardently for?	Ash_F	Jul 2012	#2
It's been nice knowing you, Paraguay	arcane1	Jul 2012	#3
Have to include the next bit of information following the original post:	Judi Lynn	Jul 2012	#4
Dubya bought up almost 100,000 acres in Paraguay in 2006.. Wonder if there is any	secondwind	Jul 2012	#5
That was my first thought, too. Crummy conmen. They have their grimy hands in everywhere.	The Wielding Truth	Jul 2012	#6
That was my very first thought as well. nt	Javaman	Jul 2012	#10
Well well...Bush does a land grab...	protect our future	Jul 2012	#7
¡Bravo! ¡Los aluminio smelters of Paraguay salute you, el pendejo President Franco el mas Chiquito!	Octafish	Jul 2012	#8
Federico Franco? Guess he isn't still dead.	leveymg	Jul 2012	#9
Neocons, meet Neocolonials	mitchtv	Jul 2012	#11
K&R	BrendaBrick	Jul 2012	#12
So very sad. I was hoping the coup could be reversed.	Overseas	Jul 2012	#13
paraguay has always been a little wierd	arely staircase	Jul 2012	#14

Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:41 PM

freshwest (31,570 posts)

1. Some are still claiming they didn't have a coup? The plundering and pillaging is just starting.

Last edited Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:41 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

I feel sorry for their people and their environment.

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:41 PM

Ash_F (1,744 posts)

2. What happened to the land reform the peasantry fought so ardently for?

Last edited Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:41 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

Guess that's not a big concern now that he's in power.

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:44 PM

arcane1 (19,998 posts)

3. It's been nice knowing you, Paraguay

You'll never be the same again

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:46 PM

Judi Lynn (77,677 posts)

4. Have to include the next bit of information following the original post:

As an example, Rojas cited the government’s authorisation to plant Bollgard genetically modified cotton developed by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto, without waiting for the preliminary studies required by law.
Sad, isn/t it?

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:47 PM

secondwind (3,830 posts)

5. Dubya bought up almost 100,000 acres in Paraguay in 2006.. Wonder if there is any

connection here. hmmmmmmmm

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Response to secondwind (Reply #5)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:52 PM

The Wielding Truth (8,440 posts)

6. That was my first thought, too. Crummy conmen. They have their grimy hands in everywhere.

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Response to secondwind (Reply #5)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 03:29 PM

Javaman (40,665 posts)

10. That was my very first thought as well. nt

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 03:03 PM

protect our future (1,026 posts)

7. Well well...Bush does a land grab...

military base...huge aquifer...now Monsanto rears its ugly head...water shortages and food shortages due soon in US...Paraguay now open to foreign investments...shall we follow the money?

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 03:13 PM

Octafish (33,489 posts)

8. ¡Bravo! ¡Los aluminio smelters of Paraguay salute you, el pendejo President Franco el mas Chiquito!

Multinational Corporations Reap Benefits from Coup Government

Paraguay’s Bitter Harvest

by BENJAMIN DANGL
CounterPunch
July 25, 2012

In a July 22nd speech marking the one month anniversary of the parliamentary coup that overthrow left-leaning Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, the former leader denounced that a motivating interest among the coup-plotters was a sought-after deal between Paraguay and the Montreal-based mining company, Rio Tinto Alcan.

“Those who pushed for the coup are those who want to solidify the negotiations with the multinational Rio Tinto Alcan, betraying the energetic sovereignty and interests of our country,” Lugo told supporters.

Such an accusation represents the widespread discontent among Paraguayan people toward current negotiations between Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) and the government of Federico Franco, Lugo’s right wing replacement.

It also points toward the Franco administration’s larger strategy to open up Paraguay to multinational corporate exploitation, from Rio Tinto Alcan to Monsanto.

The RTA deal for a $4 billion dollar aluminum plant on the shores of the Paraná River had been stalled by the Lugo administration due to concerns over the plant’s environmental impact, as well as how much the company would pay for electricity from Paraguay’s Itaipú and Yacyretá hydroelectric power plants.

Mas, cabron...

http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/07/25/paraguays-bitter-harvest/

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Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Fri Jul 27, 2012, 03:21 PM

leveymg (26,377 posts)