Demonstrators in Paraguay have set fire to the country's Congress amid violent protests against a bill that would let the President seek re-election. Protesters stormed the legislature, breaking windows and fences. The country's 1992 constitution, introduced after 35 years of dictatorship, strictly limits the president to a single five-year term. But sitting President Horactio Cartes is attempting to remove the restriction and run for re-election.<br/><br/>Local media reports said, protesters ransacked the offices of those who backed the bill. Police used mounted units, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Dozens of people had been injured, including protesters, politicians, and police officers. In a statement released on Twitter, President Cartes appealed for calm.

In Paraguay, protesters stormed and set fire to Paraguay's Congress yesterday after the Senate secretly voted for a constitutional amendment that would allow President Horacio Cartes to run for re-election. The country's constitution has prohibited re-election since it was passed in 1992 after a brutal dictatorship fell in 1989. Senator Desiree Masi from the opposition Progressive Democratic Party said, a coup has been carried out. <br/><br/>According to media reports, fire fighters managed to control the flames after protesters left the Congress building late last night. But protests and riots continued in other parts of Asuncion and other parts of the country. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was monitoring the events.