Note: Links to news accounts of Bush’s 2006 South American land grab follow this story.
Ok, we all know the story: for obscure reasons, George W. Bush buys nearly 100,000 acres of land in Paraguay. But, is it true? And, if it is, does the soon-to-be former POTUS plan to retire in the impoverished but natural resource-rich, South American country?
Whether it’s true or not, there are some upsides for Bush in moving to Paraguay.
• I hear the weather’s pretty good.
• Comparably, land is much cheaper in South America.
• Paraguay has no extradition treaty with the United States, definitely an incentive for someone trying to run away from accountability. (which we all know is our frat-boy-in-chief’s modus operandi)
• Bush does speak at least enough Spanish to effectively fake it south of the border.
But, is it indeed true?
Well, if the following news story is any indication -- when Bush finally does say adios to the American people -- he’ll indeed be saying saludo to the Paraguayans.
The International Herald Tribune has the story:
Neil Bush, younger brother of U.S. President George W. Bush, called on Paraguay's president as the guest of a business federation allied with the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church.
A presidential press office source, who spoke on condition of not being named, confirmed the younger Bush met President Nicanor Duarte on Thursday along with a delegation from the Universal Peace Federation, a group associated with Moon.
Duarte had no statement on the meeting.
Antonio Betancourt, a spokesman for the federation, said that Bush visited Duarte and later met with an opposition congressional leader, Sen. Miguel Abdon Saguier, and that both expressed interest in the Bush family and discussed local matters.
Betancourt said Bush later attended a leadership seminar sponsored by the federation.
The federation's Web site says it is trying to promote peace in the Middle East, South Asia and other regions, as well as proposing an 85-kilometer (50-mile), US$200 billion (€130 billion) tunnel linking Siberia and Alaska.
ABC Color, a leading Paraguayan newspaper is also reporting today that Bush's younger brother Neil Bush attended a leadership seminar in which he spoke about instilling a "culture of service" to better unite individuals and organizations behind a plan that serves peace and the common good. Held at the Asunción Hotel , the seminar was titled:
"Toward a New Paradigm of Leadership and Government in Times of World Crisis."
The newspaper also said that other attendees included the former Uruguayan president Jose Maria Sanguinetti and, surprisingly enough, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the owner of the Washington Times and founder of the Unification Church. Groups allied with Moon publish a newspaper, operate businesses and have large land holdings in Paraguay, South America's second-poorest country.
Here's a couple of links to more information:
Paraguay in a spin about Bush's alleged 100,000 acre hideaway
Erasmo Rodríguez Acosta, the governor of the Alto Paraguay region where Mr Bush's new acquisition supposedly lies, told one Paraguayan news agency there were indications that Mr Bush had bought land in Paso de Patria, near the border with Brazil and Bolivia. He was, however, unable to prove this, he added.
Last week the Paraguayan news group Neike suggested that Ms Bush was in Paraguay to "visit the land acquired by her father - relatively close to the Brazilian Pantanal [wetlands] and the Bolivian gas reserves".
The US presence in Paraguay has been under scrutiny since May 2005 when the country's Congress agreed to allow 400 American marines to operate there for 18 months in exchange for financial aid.
Bush Reported To Have Purchased 99,000 Acres In Paraguay
Why might the president and his family need a 98,840-acre ranch in Paraguay protected by a semi-secret U.S. military base manned by American troops who have been exempted from war-crimes prosecution by the Paraguayan government? -- Wonkette
Ok, what are we supposed to think? First, Jenna Bush goes to Paraguay and now his brother Neil. The Bush crime syndicate certainly has enough money to buy Paraguay outright. To my mind, there can only be three reasons that he would buy such a large parcel of land there.
• He's planning on retiring there to stay out of the reach of the next POTUS seeking to prosecute him for the myriad of crimes he's committed.
• His surrogates are buying up whole sections of the huge Guaraní natural aquifer located near where his property is located.
• He plans on doing both.
Take your pick, but to me, any one reason or combination thereof is even more reason to impeach the bastard.
Impede, impeach and imprison. (NOW, before he puts a sombrero on his head and bolts south of the border)
Peace