Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-15-Speech-4-169"
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"en.20000615.7.4-169"2
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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission welcomes today’s debate, because it gives us an opportunity to voice a clear warning and to remind you of the political approach that we have adopted to Latin America.
Overall, we have witnessed an impressive success story in Latin America during the last 15 to 20 years in terms of democratisation. That is why, in every single case where these successes are undermined, we must say, in the plainest terms, so far and no further. Paraguay, a country which was in any case a straggler in Latin America when it came to democratisation, appears to be in jeopardy. That is why we really must express our solidarity with the democratic forces in Paraguay, and not only in words, but also in deeds.
The European Union has already been active in Paraguay for a good many years. Our attempts to have a concrete influence on the situation there have focused on two areas. The first of these is to develop and strengthen democratic institutions.
I would like to send a very clear message to the current government in Paraguay that this cannot just be regarded as a job for Europeans, North Americans, or anyone else. We can help to develop these institutions, but the political will really to establish them, to use them and take advantage of them has to come from those who are currently in power in Paraguay.
The support programme for the Paraguayan Parliament has already gone through three stages. There is now a further project entitled “Modernising the institutions”. Because a suspicion may arise that these funds are perhaps not entirely reaching the areas they are intended for, I would like to make it crystal clear that we have seen fit to incorporate very strict control mechanisms both for Paraguay itself and for other countries. There is therefore no question of the funds involved being diverted through shady channels or into dark corners – we are talking about independent codirection under the direct control of the Commission.
The more important programme both in terms of funding and of its ultimate impact is perhaps the programme designed to tackle the social and regional causes of democratic instability in Paraguay. This programme deals with people’s living conditions, especially in rural areas. In this case a number of major programmes with significant budgets have already started. The aim of all these programmes is to improve the day-to-day living conditions of residents of rural areas, which still account for 46% of Paraguay’s population, and so to integrate them more securely into the country’s political and social structures. I would like to mention in particular that this includes a special programme supporting the indigenous population of the Chaco region.
All in all, there is no doubt that these EU activities in Paraguay are unusually far-reaching given the size of the country. Nevertheless, it is true that we do not have a permanent representative on the spot. However, I am pleased to inform you that consideration is currently being given within the Commission to reorganising our foreign missions, and that this involves a shift of emphasis, so that this point will be taken into account. But as yet no decision has been taken to change the situation in Paraguay in this respect.
I would like to conclude by saying that as far as we are concerned, the key objective of our international work is to defend democracy and the rule of law throughout the world, including Latin America and also therefore in Paraguay. I very much hope that this debate on Paraguay today in this house, here in Strasbourg, will be viewed not just as a sign of European solidarity, but also as a sign that Europe takes its responsibilities seriously!"@en1
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