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Brazil & Southern Cone - February 2015 (ISSN 1741-4431)

Uruguay offers to act as Paraguay’s diplomatic bridge with China

Uruguay has offered Paraguay full access to its diplomatic network and infrastructure in mainland China. The announcement by Uruguay’s foreign minister, Luis Almagro, has raised hopes that this may help save a Paraguayan woman facing a death sentence in China. It has also sparked speculation that it could lead to the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Paraguay, the only South American country to recognise the government of Taiwan as legitimate.

Almagro’s announcement came during a 5 February visit to Paraguay, where he met his peer, Eladio Loizaga, as well as President Horacio Cartes. In a statement, Almagro said that Uruguay had offered Paraguay the use of its diplomatic network in China, as well as in any other countries in which Paraguay lacks diplomatic representation, as part of efforts to promote international trade. Almagro noted that having access to Uruguayan embassies and consulates in China could be “beneficial” for Paraguay, which has “strong commercial interests in China”.

Paraguay, the world’s fourth largest soya producer, counts China as one of its main export markets. In recent years the Asian giant has also become one of Paraguay’s main import suppliers (with much of the bilateral trade handled by Uruguayan ports). Yet Paraguay has not had diplomatic relations with China since ties were severed by the right-wing military dictatorship led by General Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989). In 1957, the Stroessner government cut relations with China and recognised the government of Taiwan instead. Since then, Paraguay has maintained diplomatic relations with Taipei.

Almagro also said that in offering its diplomatic network in China, Uruguay would also “do everything in its power” to assist Paraguay in the case of Rosalía Amarilla, a Paraguayan national sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking in 2012. Amarilla’s execution had been scheduled for 20 March. But following Loizaga’s participation in the inaugural summit between China and the new Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), held in Beijing on 8-9 January, China announced that Amarilla’s execution has been postponed until July, when her case is to be reviewed. While in Beijing, Loizaga held a private meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and the two reportedly discussed Amarilla’s case.

  • A diplomatic dilemma

On 11 January Diógenes Martínez, a former Paraguayan senator, said that it would be “absolutely impossible” for Paraguay to establish diplomatic relations with mainland China. Martínez, who in the past has called for the establishment of relations with Beijing, pointed to the ‘non-diplomatic aggression pact inked by Taiwan and China in 2008, under which the two agreed to respect each other’s diplomatic allies. According to Martínez the two last Paraguayan governments explored the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing, only to find that this could lead to a diplomatic confrontation in Asia. Martínez explained that if Paraguay were to “even express an interest, Taipei could interpret this as breach of its agreement with Beijing”.

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