Lino Oviedo

Lino César Oviedo Silva (born September 23, 1943) is a former Paraguayan army general and politician.

Army career, alleged coup attempt, imprisonment, and release

Oviedo was born in poverty in the town of Juan de Mena (Cordillera Department) on September 23, 1943. He chose a military career, studied in Germany and eventually became a close aide to General Andrés Rodríguez. He was named chief of the Army in 1993. When President Juan Carlos Wasmosy asked him to step down from that position in April 1996, he allegedly refused and threatened a coup d'etat. After days of tension, Wasmosy offered him the Defence Ministry instead, but when Oviedo went to the presidential palace to take the oath, dressed in civilian clothes, the President, backed by popular demonstrations, withdrew the offer.

Ousted from the military, he concentrated in winning the ruling Colorado Party's candidacy for the 1998 presidential elections, and succeeded by presenting a populist platform through his great rhetorical skills. A month before the national elections, and while leading the polls, he was finally condemned to a ten-year prison term for his 1996's military mutiny. His running mate Raúl Cubas continued the campaign and eventually won the elections, largely based on the promise to free Oviedo, which in fact he did days after taking office, over the protest of the Paraguayan Supreme Court and opposition leaders.

In March 1999, vice president Luis María Argaña, a key political enemy of both Oviedo and president Cubas, was assassinated. In mid of riots and political turmoil, Cubas resigned, abandoning Oviedo, who fled into exile, first in Argentina and then in Brazil.

On June 28, 2004, he returned to Paraguay and was detained by the police, who took him to the Military Prison of Viñas Cué, located a short distance from Asunción. Initially sentenced to a ten-year term, he was released on parole for good behaviour on 6 September 2007. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6982404.stm "Paraguay's Oviedo leaves prison"] , BBC News, 6 September 2007.]

Criticism

General Oviedo has been widely criticized by detractors who point to such acts as a public speech where he promised to use "whatever means necessary" to obtain and maintain power. He is also criticized for allegedly engaging in political campaigning while still holding a military rank, or too soon after leaving the military (there is a waiting period of six months before former military can engage in any sort of political campaigning). In fact, during the first half of Juan Carlos Wasmosy's presidency, General Oviedo was viewed as some sort of Paraguay's strongman. He was also accused of links to drug cartels, smuggling protection and the assassination of vice president Luís María Argaña. A populist, he constantly praises Argentine General Juan Domingo Perón as a model Latin American politician.Oviedo left the ruling Colorado Party and founded his own political party, PUNACE, but lately has been criticized by his own followers for choosing his children and other family members for legislative candidacies, rather than political backers with more experience.

Pleads for Oviedo's release

In November 2006, a Paraguayan man, Tomás Velázquez, held a hunger strike before being publicly crucified in Asunción. He maintained that Oviedo was the target of political persecution and that the military tribunal that convicted him for his alleged participation in a subversive plot was illegal according to the constitution, as it had been conducted in time of peace. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6158229.stm "Paraguay man crucified in public"] , BBC News, 30 November 2006.]

upreme Court decision and potential presidential candidacy

On October 30 2007, Oviedo's conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court [http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-10-31-voa75.cfm "Paraguayan High Court Annuls Former General's Coup Conviction"] , VOA News, October 31, 2007.] Bill Faries, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aCLjZZ_dRsBM&refer=latin_america "Paraguay's Oviedo Cleared to Run for Presidency, Nacion Says"] , Bloomberg.com, October 31, 2007.] in an eight to one decision following testimony from former officers that there had been no coup attempt. The ruling leaves Oviedo free to run in the April 2008 presidential election. In January 2008 he was nominated as the candidate of his party, the National Union of Ethical Citizens, without opposition. [ [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/2008/01/14/139039/Once-jailed-Paraguayan.htm "Once-jailed Paraguayan army chief nominated for opposition run for president"] , Associated Press ("The China Post"), January 14, 2008.]

References