Paraguay: One dead in protests – President’s demands for resignation

Effervescence prevails in Paraguay, as a man lost his life during the protests for the management of the pandemic by the government.

According to the APE-MPE, the conservative president, Mario Abdo Benitez, from all the ministers to submit their resignations in view of a broad reshuffle.

Communications Minister Manuel Brunetti assured that “the president listened to the people” and “asked all the ministers in his government to submit their resignations” to “proceed with a reshuffle”, according to the ABC Color newspaper. The composition of the new government was expected to be announced later in the day.

Extensive incidents broke out on Friday during a mass mobilization in Asuncion, which was not organized by any political party or social organization. The demonstration, in which thousands of people complained of corruption, lack of medicines, materials and equipment in the health system and the lack of adequate state support to the citizens affected by the economic crisis due to the impact of the pandemic, began peacefully, but then erupted .

At least one person was killed and at least 20 others were injured in what became known as the Cold War.

Yesterday Saturday the demonstrations were repeated.

A record number of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported in Paraguay in recent days. They reached 115 per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 7 days. The Latin American country’s health system is on the verge of collapse. The government acknowledges that there is a huge shortage of medicines for patients with COVID-19, while almost all beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) in the country’s hospitals are full. The state of approximately seven million inhabitants has so far recorded more than 3,250 deaths out of a total of more than 164,000 cases.