WORLD BRIEFING / PARAGUAY

Paraguay’s leftist president sacked the commander of the armed forces days after dismissing three other military chiefs in a shake-up seen as a bid to shore up support among senior ranks.

Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop, is facing intense pressure from rightist rivals who control Congress, and he warned this week that a “handful of military officers” might be siding with his foes. Opponents have criticized the military shake-up, Lugo’s third since taking office 15 months ago. The government said in a statement that the dismissals were part of “normal administrative processes.”