The Paraguay's leftist leader has rejected a US plan for joint military exercises after US-Colombia military deal sparked controversy in South America.
"There would be about 500 US military and other personnel in the country and that wouldn't go unnoticed," President Fernando Lugo said on Thursday.
He also noted that he was no longer in favor of hosting US troops participating in the Pentagon's "New Horizons" program.
Washington's ambassador in Asuncion, Liliana Ayalde, said that the US 'regretted but respected' the decision.
Meanwhile, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Hector Lacognate denied Thursday's announcement could raise tensions between the two nations.
"We have an excellent bilateral agenda with the United States. We have more then 30 current agreements with the US in diverse areas, of which six are in the area of military cooperation," Lacognate said.
The US program in Latin America deploys active duty, reserve and National Guard forces from across the US to work on projects ranging from building schools and medical clinics to paving roads.
Lugo's remark came after South American leaders expressed their concern over a deal between Washington and Bogota that would allow US troops to use seven Colombian bases for a 10-year period.
US officials say American troops will continue to be involved in helping Colombia in counter-drug operations and in supporting its fight against leftist rebels.
However, Latin American governments notably Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina believe that the US uses the regional war on drugs as a pretext to boost its regional military presence.
AGB/DT
Please support Global Research Global Research relies on the financial support of its readers.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article.
The CRG grants permission to cross-post original Global Research articles on community
internet sites as long as the text & title are not modified. The source and the author's copyright must be displayed.
For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: crgeditor@yahoo.com
www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such
material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an
effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social
issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who
have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational
purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair
use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.