Republica ArgentinaHis Excellency President Bartolome Mitre addresses supporters at a rally in central Buenos Aires:"The consolidation of the Argentine nation continues at a rapid pace, I thank all of our people in this great Republic for putting their differences aside in the interest of solidarity for the Argentine state. Serving the people of Argentina for the past 5 years as their President has been my greatest honour. In that time I have managed to unite the warring political factions of our Confederation into one Republic with one national identity. I made a priority of this government the expansion of our population base to stimulate our economy and promote growth. I am proud to say that I championed our policy for free and compulsory education for all school-aged children, for investing in our nation's future is a wise and prudent decision. The state of the economy has been at the forefront of my mind. I have begun what is to be known as an Agricultural Revolution for Argentina which will result in bountiful harvests that we can then use to ensure our people, even the poorest among us, our well fed before we can sell any remaining surplus to regional and overseas markets.
Trade is of such vital importance to our economy that we must be extremely vigilant in rooting out any barriers that might impede our ability to trade. Without income from trade our economy- and thus our society- would collapse. It is for this reason that I come before you again to address the problem we are having with the Republic of Paraguay. President Lopez is a thorn in the side of Argentine progress. His refusal to allow free and unhindered passage of trade goods along the Paraguay and Parana Rivers can no longer be tolerated by the Republic of Argentina.
Our efforts to resolve this dispute diplomatically with the Paraguayan government have failed. We have taken the matter to the Council of South American States for their mediation. The Council has agreed with our proposal that military intervention is necessary to resolve this dispute and bring an end to President Lopez's tyrannical reign.
The Paraguayan people live in constant fear of their brutal, sadistic leader. Lopez rules with an iron fist and any dissenters to his right to rule are put down with summary execution or indefinite imprisonment. The Argentine Republic can no longer stand idly by while this bloodthirsty dictator massacres his own people in his lust for power.
He must be stopped.I, Bartolome Mitre, President of the Argentine Republic, do declare that a state of war now exists between the Argentine Republic and the Republic of Paraguay. I have ordered the mobilisation of the armed forces to commence immediately and an invasion of Paraguayan territory will begin forthwith. We will not rest until free and fair trade is brought to the region and President Lopez is made to pay for his crimes. We will bring justice for the people of Paraguay and only when they are given the right to an accountable and representative government will this conflict be resolved."