Paraguay President Faces Impeachment After Deadly Clash
Fernando Lugo says he will not resign
CNN Wire Staff
June 21, 2012
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Lugo's presidency became endangered when a liberal party that backed him decided to join an opposition party in supporting impeachment.
The impeachment proceedings follow a June 15 incident in which police clashed with landless peasants, resulting in 17 deaths.
The lower chamber voted in favor of impeachment, and the issue will now go before the Paraguayan Senate.
Lugo told reporters immediately after the impeachment vote that he will not offer his resignation.
On June 15, peasants in eastern Paraguay fired on police trying to evict them from private property, initiating the deadly confrontation, local authorities and state-run media said.
The violence occurred in Curuguaty, a remote community about 240 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion, near the Brazilian border.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Lugo replaced his interior minister and national police chief.
Four of Lugo's ministers resigned Thursday after their political party withdrew its support from the president.