Latin American governments continue to denounce the ouster of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo in what has been called a parliamentary coup. On Friday, the Paraguayan Senate voted 39-to-4 to dismiss Lugo, saying he had failed to maintain public order. On Monday, the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR, announced an emergency meeting in Argentina for later this week to address Lugo’s removal. In Havana, Cuban President Raúl Castro criticized Paraguayan lawmakers for their effort against Lugo.

Cuban President Raúl Castro: “The man had nine months left in his presidency and did not even think about being reelected duly denied by the constitution. There was no reason to do what they’ve done. It was a coup d’état. It is unusual on this continent to see a coup of this kind, using the parliament while the opposition has the majority of the seats.”