Emergency Declaration on Paraguay

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 27 March 1999

Emergency Declaration

The following declaration concerning the grave institutional crisis affecting Paraguay was issued by those taking part in the SIW’s Regional Meeting on 27th March 1999 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, called to discuss the topic ‘The Effects of Neo-Liberal Policies on Women’:

• We condemn the assassination of the vice-president of the Republic, Luis María Argaña, the acts of violence which have already provoked other deaths and all the violations of human rights of which Paraguayan men and women are victim at the present time.
• We express our solidarity to the entire Paraguayan people who are living through the anguish of seeing their democracy threatened after having achieved this at such a high social cost.
• In particular, we show our solidarity with the women of Paraguay, who most suffer the consequences of the breakdown of the State ruled by law and the implications that this has in social, economic and political domains.
• We urgewomen throughout the world and all those who share our democratic ideals to lead a campaign aimed at preserving democracy and respect for human rights in Paraguay – principles which have always characterised our political activity.