Cuba to withdraw ambassador from Paraguay

HAVANA - The Cuban Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Tuesday to withdraw its ambassador in Paraguay in another protest of the impeachment of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo.

The Cuban government condemned on Saturday the impeachment against Lugo, saying it would not recognize any authority that is not granted by the "legitimate vote" of the Paraguayan people.

Lugo was ousted through impeachment on Friday by the Senate as he was accused of poorly handling clashes on June 15 that killed at least eight police and nine farmers.

Vice President Federico Franco was sworn in as interim president on Friday.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry also said that the dismissal of Lugo is "another hit added to the long list of attacks against the self-determination of the Latin American peoples," and implied that such actions were always taken with "complicity and tolerance of the U.S. government."

Other countries in the region, including Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, have also recalled their ambassadors to Paraguay and refused to recognize the new government.