Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Paraguay’s new president, Pedro Alliana, on his inauguration. In a post on his social‑media account, Lula said he wished Alliana “total success in his new duties and the opportunity to work together openly, frankly and cooperatively, for the strengthening of bilateral relations and the advancement of integration in South America.” Lula, who was re‑elected in October for a fourth non‑consecutive term, added that he expects to welcome Alliana to Brasília soon to review the bilateral agenda and give new impetus to the friendship between the two countries. Alliana assumed office after the Paraguayan Congress completed the process of removing former president Santiago Peña. Peña resigned on Thursday and is currently under house arrest in Asunción. Brazil is Paraguay’s principal trading partner and both countries are members of Mercosur, along with Argentina and Uruguay. They also share the Itaipú hydroelectric plant, the largest in Latin America. In response to Lula’s message, Alliana thanked the Brazilian president on the platform X, saying, “Dear President, thank you very much for your congratulations. Our nations will always be united by bonds of fraternity. We will begin a fruitful relationship in honor of our peoples.”
Article source: El Comercio | Image credit: El Comercio