The Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday, the 10th, a defense agreement that allows the temporary presence of U.S. military personnel and civilian staff within its borders. The approval is seen as a victory for the Trump administration, which has been seeking to strengthen its presence in Latin America.
The Status of Forces Agreement, known as SOFA (in the English acronym), was approved by a wide majority of lawmakers and now awaits the signature of President Santiago Peña to take effect. Peña, one of Trump’s closest allies in the region, is expected to sign the treaty in the coming days.
The agreement was approved by 53 votes in favour and eight against, and four abstentions, of a total of 80 lawmakers. Fifteen were not present for the vote.
<p>Signed by both countries in Washington in December, the agreement establishes a legal framework for the presence of U.S. security forces in Paraguay for training, joint exercises and humanitarian assistance. It also authorizes the United States to have criminal jurisdiction over its personnel while in the country.</p><p>The treaty, praised as “historic” by both the U.S. State Department and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, was approved by the Paraguayan Senate last week, where the debate was more polarized due to concerns about possible violations of sovereignty.</p><p><i>*Content translated with the aid of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Broadcast Editorial Desk*</i></p>
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James Whitmore