Paraguay presidential candidate dies in helicopter crash
Retired General Lino Cesar Oviedo, a leading candidate in Paraguay's upcoming presidential election, died while campaigning.
The bodies of Mr. Oviedo, his bodyguard and the pilot were found late on February 3 (Vietnam time) in western Paraguay.
The death of Lino Cesar Oviedo has shocked Paraguayan politics.
The cause of the accident is not yet clear, but CNN said Mr. Oviedo's death shocked Paraguay's political scene and left some of his supporters skeptical.
“We will hire international experts specialized in aviation accidents to investigate what happened clearly and objectively,” President Federico Franco said in a statement.
He also declared three days of national mourning to honor Mr Oviedo, “a military hero” who played a key role in the overthrow of dictator Alfredo Stroessner in February 1989 and was hailed as the “father of democracy”.
Mr Oviedo is a controversial figure in Paraguay, beloved by his supporters but also accused of undemocratic power grabs.
He ran for president in 1998 but was disqualified when a military court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a 1996 coup attempt. In 2007, Paraguay's Supreme Court overturned his conviction.
He soon launched his campaign and registered to run in the 2008 Paraguayan presidential election but only finished third with 21% of the vote.
This failure did not discourage him. He continued to run in this year's election. Mr. Oviedo once declared in the daily newspaper La Nacion in 2011 that "if they (his enemies - NV) do not kill me, I will win the 2013 election".
According to Tuoi Tre - DT
