21 April 2011

PARAGUAY / BRASIL: Annual $240 Million From Brasilia...Another Challenge For Prez. Lugo.

AP/ M.HERALD/ P. Servin
2 screen read combined

   Social unrest is growing there as politically weakened current President Lugo (above R. with Lula) fights lymphatic cancer and a conservative congress...with Paraguay soon to receive an extra $240 million usd annually for hydroelectric power from neighbor Brasil.
     In 2009, President Lula da Silva agreed to triple Brasil's payments to Paraguay from the huge Itaipu dam - from $120 million to $360 million a year.
    Paraguay's annual budget is only $8 billion and it doesn't have an income tax...so $240 million more a year is a vast sum to spend. The disagreement now is...how will it be spent?