Paraguay urges Brazil to return historical cannons

Paraguayan Vice President Pedro Alliana has renewed his country's call for Brazil to return two historical cannons, "El Cristiano" and "Mariscal López," which were taken during the War of the Triple Alliance. Alliana stated that the final decision rests with the Brazilian parliament and appealed for a gesture of bilateral fraternity.

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My words were the words of the Paraguayan people, first to make known what happened in the war of the Triple Alliance and second to claim this that belongs to Paraguayans, especially the "Cristiano" Cannon and the "Mariscal López" Cannon.

Alliana emphasized the patriotic significance of the request, asserting that his words represented the Paraguayan people's desire to acknowledge the past and reclaim these patrimonial assets. He downplayed any potential diplomatic tensions with Brazil, suggesting that while President Lula might have made missteps, he has a history of important gestures and is expected to act favorably.

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The declarations were not appropriate, but a human being can make mistakes, can be wrong. But President Lula has always had very important gestures, and I am not surprised that this time he will do the same.

The Vice President framed the recovery of these war trophies not as a sign of confrontation, but as historical reparation. He believes that Brazil, its government, and its people would not be proud to possess these items, nor to be remembered for their actions against Paraguay during the war.

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This depends today on the Congress of Brazil. I do not believe that the Government, the Brazilian people are proud to have this in their possession. Nor do I believe they feel proud of what they did against the Paraguayan people in the war of the Triple Alliance.

Ultimately, Alliana expressed hope that returning the cannons would foster stronger bilateral ties based on mutual respect and regional cooperation, marking the beginning of further positive gestures from Brazil regarding the historical conflict.

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It would be a great gesture from the Brazilian people to return these to us, and it would be the beginning of important gestures they can have with us regarding what happened in the war of the Triple Alliance.