Paraguayan Interior Minister, Police Chief Dismissed Amid Mass Protests

Paraguay's interior minister and chief of police were fired following the wave of protests that swept across the country after the Senate's secret vote to make the president's reelection possible.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes dismissed country's interior minister as well as chief of police amid mass protests in the country against leader’s wish to run for the second presidential term, according to media reports.

The decision was made on Saturday less than a day after one of the protesters, Rodrigo Quintana, was killed in clashes with police at the office of the opposition Authentic Radical Liberal Party, the BBC broadcaster reported.

The unrest was triggered by decision of the ruling Colorado Party to establish an alternative Senate, passing laws favorable to the country's leader.

On Tuesday, a group of 25 senators began holding "parallel sessions," making changes to the Senate's rules and procedures. Early on Friday, the lawmakers approved a re-election bill de-facto changing the constitution's provision allowing presidents to remain in power within only one presidential term. According to Paraguay's laws, Senate requires 23 out of 45 votes to pass legislation, which means the voting results of the alternative Senate was enough for the adoption of the changes.

On Friday evening, protesters started storming the congressional building and set it on fire. Police resorted to water tanks and rubber bullets at some of the protesters to restore order.