[SENATE] Bill to Mend Brazilian-Paraguayan Ties

[Smyg]

The time has come to forgive the deeds of past madmen, and to embrace a new era of friendly relations with our neighbours.

Bill to Mend Brazilian-Paraguayan Ties

Whereas the tragic and wasteful Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, fought between 1864 and 1870, cost the lives of tens of thousands of Brazilians and hundreds of thousands of Paraguayans, leaving a deep scar on the memories of our two peoples,

Whereas the Perpetual Peace and Friendship between the Republic of Paraguay and the Empire of Brazil, signed in Asuncion on 9 January 1872 and updated in 1874 and 1927, specifies that Paraguay must pay a debt to Brazil for all damages caused to Brazilian people and cities at an interest of 6% with an annual amortisation of 1%, a debt which is still formally retained but which Brazil has not enforced for many years,

Whereas, Brazil still possesses a few historical items looted from Paraguay, such as the cannon Cristiano, made from the melted-down bronze church bells of Asunción and captured in the Siege of Humaitá, and all surviving remnants of the Paraguayan military archives,

Whereas the Oriental Republic of Uruguay has long ago, under President Máximo Santos in 1885, returned all war trophies taken from Paraguay, and cancelled all Paraguayan war debts to Uruguay,

Whereas the Republic of the United States of Brazil wishes to develop friendly relations with all of its Latin American sister-countries, especially such close neighbours as the Republic of Paraguay,

• Section 1. The Republic of the United States of Brazil shall pardon all still existing war debts owed by the Republic of Paraguay and mandated by the 1872 Perpetual Peace and Friendship between the Republic of Paraguay and the Empire of Brazil.

• Section 2. All historical items seized as trophies, loot or booty during the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870 and currently in the possession of the Brazilian state, shall be returned to Paraguay. This includes, most prominently, the Cristiano cannon held at the National History Museum in Rio de Janeiro, and all surviving remnants of the Paraguayan military archives.

• Section 3. This bill shall go into effect thirty-one (31) days after passage.

[LordMoose]

we would like to ask how much debt we would be giving up and how much interest per turn

[Flamelord]

As has been noted by the Communist Party representative, currently this debt is not enforced. As such we would be giving up nothing, because we do not currently get anything.

We would be amicable to the first clause in this bill, but not the second. Those artifacts are as much part of our history as they are Paraguay's, and we see no reason to return them if the Paraguayan government shows no desire to have them returned

[LordMoose]

We think that instead of forgiving the debt it should be reorganized into more easy payments

[Smyg]

We can not even begin to comprehend why the Liberator Party would want this.

In regards to the statement of the honourable PUF, it would be a mistake to consider the Paraguayan government as unwanting of these artefacts, given that the 1885 return of the Urguayan war trophies was met with such triumphal celebration that several streets and squares in Asunción were renamed in honour of the Uruguayans.

Would the party of our President be open to, perhaps, a compromise?

The Cristiano cannon could be loaned out by our National History Museum for a period of time to the National Museum of Fine Arts of Asunción, in a project of exchange. The military archival materials, in our view, should be returned to Asunción's National Archives, but surely extensive copies of all materials can be made to ensure that no historical knowledge is lost.

[Smyg]

We have had a dialogue with the PUF, and reached a concensus with them. Therefore we present this attempt at an amended bill, that may be more to their liking.

Amended Bill to Mend Brazilian-Paraguayan Ties

Whereas the tragic and wasteful Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, fought between 1864 and 1870, cost the lives of tens of thousands of Brazilians and hundreds of thousands of Paraguayans, leaving a deep scar on the memories of our two peoples,

Whereas the Perpetual Peace and Friendship between the Republic of Paraguay and the Empire of Brazil, signed in Asuncion on 9 January 1872 and updated in 1874 and 1927, specifies that Paraguay must pay a debt to Brazil for all damages caused to Brazilian people and cities at an interest of 6% with an annual amortisation of 1%, a debt which is still formally retained but which Brazil has not enforced for many years,

Whereas, Brazil still possesses a few historical items looted from Paraguay, such as the cannon Cristiano, made from the melted-down bronze church bells of Asunción and captured in the Siege of Humaitá, and all surviving remnants of the Paraguayan military archives,

Whereas the Oriental Republic of Uruguay has long ago, under President Máximo Santos in 1885, returned all war trophies taken from Paraguay, and cancelled all Paraguayan war debts to Uruguay,

Whereas the Republic of the United States of Brazil wishes to develop friendly relations with all of its Latin American sister-countries, especially such close neighbours as the Republic of Paraguay,

• Section 1. The Republic of the United States of Brazil shall pardon all still existing war debts owed by the Republic of Paraguay and mandated by the 1872 Perpetual Peace and Friendship between the Republic of Paraguay and the Empire of Brazil.

• Section 2. All surviving remnants of the Paraguayan military archives seized during the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870 and currently in the possession of the Brazilian state shall be returned to the National Archives of Paraguay in Asunción, after archivists of the National Library of Brazil have made full and complete copies of these documents to preserve the knowledge held within.

• Section 3. All other historical items seized as trophies, loot or booty during the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870 and currently in the possession of the Brazilian state, shall be offered to be returned to Paraguay. They shall remain the property of the Brazilian state, as a cooperative historical project on the joint Brazilian-Paraguayan cultural heritage, to be displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Asunción (which also houses the National Archives) for a period of 5 years, after which the decision to loan them out shall be renewed or cancelled after dialogue between the Chief Curators of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Asunción and the National History Museum in Rio de Janeiro. These items include, most prominently, the Cristiano cannon held at the aforementioned National History Museum in Rio de Janeiro.

• Section 4. This bill shall go into effect thirty-one (31) days after passage.

[Flamelord]

With the amendment to address our previous concerns, we believe that we can now support this bill

[Smyg]

Then, we would like to open up for voting on the amended bill, if possible?

[Luc]

Sebastião do Rego Barros, President of the Chamber of Deputies

We will accept the motion, we will now entertain a vote on this bill.

[Smyg]

The Communist Party of Brazil (4) naturally vote in favour.

[Luc]

The Democratic Party (42) votes IN FAVOUR of this bill.

The Socialist Revolutionary Party (3) votes IN FAVOUR of this bill.

[LordMoose]

we will support this bill

[acecipher]

The SDP (27) vote YES.

[Flamelord]

The Federal Union Party (93) votes Yes on this bill

[Snacks]

The BLOC (2) votes yes for this bill.