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Weekly Report - 07 July 2011 (WR-11-27)

PARAGUAY: Lugo faces battle to save coalition

Paraguay's ruling coalition is sailing close to the rocks. President Fernando Lugo delivered his state-of-the-nation address to congress on 1 July. Embarrassingly for Lugo, insufficient deputies and senators turned up to make quorum, although he went ahead with his speech to enumerate his government's achievements over the past three years. Conspicuous by his absence was Senator Blas Llano, who heads the majority faction in the Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico (PLRA), by far the largest party in Lugo's Alianza Patriótica para el Cambio (APC) coalition, and, until this moment, a steadfast ally. A bid by the smaller left-wing parties in the APC to push for Lugo's re-election, coupled with Lugo's precipitate dismissal of a PLRA cabinet minister, has caused serious internal ructions in the PLRA.

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