Posted on 11/30/2006 12:29:13 PM PST by kiriath_jearim
Protesters in Paraguay have staged a public crucifixion calling for a jailed former army general to be set free.
Tomas Velazquez, a supporter of General Lino Oviedo, popular among Paraguay's indigenous people, was tied and nailed to a cross outside the Supreme Court.
Mr Velazquez called on the court to review Gen Oviedo's 10-year jail sentence for plotting a 1996 coup.
Gen Oviedo remains popular in parts of Paraguay, with supporters saying his sentence was politically motivated.
He was convicted by a military tribunal in 1998 of plotting to overthrow Paraguay's government.
He was arrested after returning to Paraguay in 2004 from exile in Brazil.
Nailed tight
In the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion, dozens of Gen Oviedo's supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court for the dramatic crucifixion.
Draped in banners calling for Gen Oviedo to be set free, Mr Velazquez was hoisted onto a wooden cross and tied by the arms and legs.
Nails were then driven through the palms of his hands.
Grimacing with pain, Mr Velazquez - who is also undergoing a hunger strike - demanded that Gen Oviedo's sentence be reviewed.
"The Supreme Court must review this conviction. In 1998, Oviedo was convicted by a military tribunal but that is illegal in times of peace.
"We believe that he is being politically persecuted."
The Associated Press reported that the Supreme Court said it would review the case as a matter of course.
Coup country
Gen Oviedo initially rose to prominence in Paraguay in February 1989.
He played a prominent part in the uprising that overthrew the regime of Gen Alfredo Stroessner and set the country on the path back to civilian government.
Before being jailed, he had his political ambitions, first within the governing Colorado Party and then as head of his own Unace (National Union of Ethical Citizens) political movement.
But his jail term stems from a short-lived 1996 rebellion against former then-President Juan Carlos Wasmosy.
He is being held at a military prison, and continues to deny plotting against Mr Wasmosy, who was Paraguay's first elected civilian president after Gen Stroessner was ousted.
During five years of exile in Brazil, Gen Oviedo indicated he was considering running for the Paraguayan presidency in 2008.
OOOH! I bet that hurts!............
Also, to be technical, shouldn't the nails have gone in the Paraguan's wrists?
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
I know - not funny...........
Forgive me.
Yes, they should. Nails through the hands won't hold the weight of the body.
No one seems to get this one right.
Who wants to be the one to tell the poor fellow?
Could bleed to death if it went through the wrists, although that's how it was done. I think they do this in the Philippines every year. I guess it's supposed to shock people into realizing how awful this was.
"Hey, I can see my house from here!!"
Seems to be suffering with a god complex.
"We believe that he is being politically persecuted.""
Seems like the guy on the cross is being persecuted!
Don't have to. Much of the weight of the body can be supported by the sedille or by ropes, if one chooses to use them. If a crossbar is used, the hands and nails can be angled to prevent slippage.
Don't have to. Much of the weight of the body can be supported by the sedille or by ropes, if one chooses to use them. If a crossbar is used, the hands and nails can be angled to prevent slippage.
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With that screen name and your DETAILED knowledge of crucifixions, I'll be sure to agree with you on any and all of your future posts.
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