Far-right populist presidential candidate arrested in Paraguay

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Paraguayan police on Friday arrested Paraguay Cubasa far-right populist who got here third in Sunday’s presidential election, inspired his supporters to protest his unsubstantiated claims that the vote Like fraud.

Police Commissioner Gilberto Fleitas mentioned in a radio interview that Cubas was being held in preventive detention beneath an order from the Public Prosecutor’s Workplace accusing him of breaching the peace.

Cubas, the candidate of the Nationwide Campaign occasion who acquired 23% of the vote on Sunday, was reside on Fb when officers detained him exterior his lodge in San Lorenzo, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Asuncion.

Copas acquired right into a police automobile “with none problem,” Fleitas mentioned, however continued to broadcast reside.

Broadcasting from contained in the police automobile, Cubas spoke to the officers and centered the digital camera on {the handcuffs}. “You possibly can see now that I’m imprisoned,” he mentioned. “The arms of all criminals on this nation like Paraguayan Cubas should be tied.”

Cubas has been telling supporters since Monday that he’s heading to the capital to steer a collection of protests which have led to sporadic clashes with police, largely exterior the Electoral Courtroom in Asuncion.

“We’ll stay within the streets till the Paraguayan Cubas are launched,” mentioned Juan Reyes, certainly one of a whole lot of Cubas supporters who took half in demonstrations exterior the Electoral Courtroom.

Police mentioned Thursday that no less than 208 folks have been arrested “on expenses of disturbing public order and different crimes punishable by regulation within the framework of the demonstrations going down within the nationwide territory.”

Efrain Alegre, who completed second as a candidate from a broad-based opposition coalition throughout Sunday’s elections, demanded Cuba’s launch, together with everybody arrested on this week’s protests.

“We demand the discharge of Paraguayan Cubas and all imprisoned residents for demanding transparency,” Allegri wrote on social media.

Allegri, who acquired 27% of the vote on Sunday, conceded the race shortly after polls closed, however on Monday known as for a handbook vote-count and a world audit of the nation’s digital voting system after Cubas aired his allegations of fraud.

The Group of American States, which deployed an election remark mission, mentioned on Tuesday that there was “no purpose to doubt the outcomes” of the vote depend.

Santiago Peña of the longtime ruling Colorado Celebration handily gained Sunday’s presidential election with 43% of the vote.

Over the previous few days, Cubas has been posting photos of his supporters greeting him in numerous components of the nation as he makes his manner in direction of the capital from Ciudad del Este, a metropolis that borders Brazil and Argentina.

About 1,500 to 1,800 regulation enforcement officers had been deployed exterior the electoral courtroom on Friday to participate within the protest organized by Cubas supporters. The authorities additionally ready for any demonstration exterior the police station the place Kobas was taken.

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Related Press picture reporter Jorge Saenz in Asuncion contributed to this report.