Paraguay's former president, Mr Raul Cubas, fled to Brazil late on Monday evening, escorted by a convoy of army vehicles to Asuncion airport, where he boarded a Brazilian air force jet and landed in Camboriu, a small tourist town in southern Brazil.
Mr Cubas was granted political asylum by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil two days after he resigned the presidency of Paraguay, amidst violent political turmoil.
Mr Cubas left the country carrying a written guarantee of safe passage signed by his successor, Mr Luis Gonzalez Macchi, who gave the green light to Mr Cubas despite a possible trial for his role in the deaths of six protesters during last weekend's disturbances.
"There is no arrest warrant in existence against Cubas," confirmed President Macchi's private secretary, Mr Juan Ernesto Villamayor, reminding observers that Mr Cubas's resignation automatically guaranteed him a lifetime senate seat and with it, immunity from prosecution for alleged crimes.
Mr Cubas joins the former Paraguayan dictator, Gen Alfredo Stroessner, who fled to Brazil in 1989, following a coup carried out by his son-in-law, Gen Andres Rodriguez, ending 35 years of iron-fisted rule.
The asylum process was agreed between the MERCOSUR governments - Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay - despite stiff opposition from politicians at home and exiled Paraguayans.
"This is a contribution to the consolidation of democratic institutions in Paraguay" said a spokesman for President Cardoso.
"How can they give asylum to this criminal who stained our country with blood?' countered a protester at the Paraguayan embassy in Brasilia.
Meanwhile, the ex president's brother, Mr Carlos Cubas, who took up the position of interior minister after the assassination of vice-president Luis Maria Argana last week, was sacked from his post and prohibited from leaving the country, where he faces charges of criminal responsibility in the weekend disturbances, according to his successor, Mr Charles Brower, sworn in as new Interior Minister on Monday.
The purge against supporters of the retired coup leader, Gen Lino Oviedo, continued yesterday, with news that six army generals were retired by President Macchi. Gen Oviedo received political asylum from President Carlos Menem of Argentina, a personal friend, despite opposition from politicians in his own party. "Argentina can't become a refuge for failed coup generals" said Mr Eduardo Duhalde, leading presidential candidate for Mr Menem's own Justicialist Party (PJ).
Gen Oviedo is staying at a ranch outside Buenos Aires belonging to a business partner of Mr Menem.
"I believe we are doing a service to Paraguayan democracy," said former the Argentinian president, Mr Raul Alfonsin, who suggested that Paraguay's new government was happier to keep the coup general at a safe distance.