Monsanto linked to coup that ousted Paraguayan president

[Judi Lynn]

Monsanto linked to coup that ousted Paraguayan president
Monday, July 16, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) The political system in Paraguay is undergoing some major turmoil right now following the forced impeachment of former President Fernando Lugo, a "left-of-center" politician democratically voted into office by the people of Paraguay back in 2008. And among those who initiated and brought about this controversial coup was multinational biotechnology giant Monsanto, which was apparently threatened by Lugo's resistance against the company's genetically-modified (GM) crop agenda.

For years, Paraguay's government has been dominated by so-called "right-wing" politicians that have served the interests of the country's local oligarchy, as well as the interests of the U.S. embassy and transnational corporations that have established a powerful stronghold in the country. Among these corporate influences was Monsanto, which over the years has converted much of Paraguay's arable land into plantations that grow GM crops.

But with the election of Lugo in 2008, things were beginning to change in many ways, according to reports, which triggered serious upset amongst Paraguay's status quo class. Unwilling to capitulate to every demand made by the likes of Monsanto, Lugo was clearly a problem for these movers and shakers, who had long controlled national policy to their liking at the expense of the underclasses who have had to endure extreme poverty as a result.

"Monsanto planned to introduce a genetically modified seed for commercial use in the country ... (But) under Lugo's administration, Paraguay's National Service for Plants and Seeds Quality and Health (SENAVE) refused to approve the seed's use," writes Berta Joubert-Ceci of Workers World concerning Monsanto's involvement in the coup.

More:
http://www.naturalnews.com/036486_Monsanto_Paraguay_impeachment.html#ixzz20o81jmmy

[Ian David]

1. Natural News is neither legitimate nor reliable. Do you have this from someplace else? n/t

[pscot]

2. Try this

Escobar certainly has a point of view, but he doesn't just make stuff up.

­Asia Times correspondent Pepe Escobar believes impeachment was orchestrated from outside Paraguay for economic interests. In an interview with RT, he listed those who, in his opinion, benefited most from Lugo’s removal.
“First of all, [those are] international agribusiness, like Monsanto and Cargill, because they are devastating enormous tracts of land in Paraguay for [its] agribusiness to be sold to the international market,” he told RT.
Other “beneficiaries” include Brazilian land owners, Escobar continued, who “own a lot of land in Paraguay,” local “comprador elites” who are sufficiently represented in the country’s parliament and control the media, and also the United States. The latter is attempting to “torpedo” any push towards integration in South America.
“The international financial system and international agribusinesses, allied with Brazilian landowners, who own huge tracts of land, especially in eastern Paraguay, near the Brazilian border, and of course the American Embassy in Asuncion – which is, as our friends in Iran would say, a nest of spies. So all these interests converge to find the way to install a sort of democratic coup against Lugo,” Escobar said. “They used the technicality to launch an impeachment process that lasted between 24 and 48 hours. This is unheard of in modern democratic political history!”

http://www.rt.com/news/paraguay-coup-monsanto-oligarchs-078/

[Ian David]

3. Better. Thanks. n/t

[GliderGuider]

4. Legitimate or not, the meme is spreading...

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=paraguay+coup+monsanto&oq=paraguay+coup+monsanto

[midnight]

5. The money trumps peace gang gets around....

[GliderGuider]

6. So Monsanto is this century's United Fruit Company? nt

[pscot]

7. The comparison sort of leaps out

Though Monsanto's reach is probably broader and more insidious than UFC's in its hayday.