UN General Assembly
2012

supportive and more equitable were they governed by full compliance with international law, the principles of which guide and direct the peaceful settlement of disputes. In my country’s view, favouring political expediency over treaty commitments is unacceptable, because political considerations can never take precedence over formal international agreements. On this first and last time that I will address the General Assembly, I believe it is necessary and unavoidable to elucidate to the international community the political process that my country is currently undergoing. The history of Paraguay changed on the night of 22 June. The National Congress, exercising its constitutional powers — and I would like to publicly express my appreciation for the presence here today of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Paraguay, senators and members of Parliament, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and persons of various political stripes — decided by near-unanimity to remove the then-President from office by means of an impeachment process established under the Constitution. The Paraguayan Congress sought in that manner to