Paraguay head faces assassination threat

ASUNCION, Paraguay -- Paraguay's president returned home Monday from a vacation in neighboring Brazil amid reports of a possible assassination attempt against him.\nGovernment and intelligence officials refused to comment on reports Monday by newspapers ABC Color and Ultima Hora that President Nicanor Duarte had delayed his return by a day because of security concerns.\nGovernment spokesman Jose Duarte told reporters the president traveled directly to his official residence from an unspecified airport. He declined further comment.\nThe newspapers, citing unidentified sources, said Paraguay's intelligence service had received reports that a group of men illegally entered the country equipped with anti-aircraft weaponry with the aim of downing the president's plane.\nThe reports said intelligence agents were investigating whether the planned attack was organized by businessmen and officials angry over the president's anti-corruption campaign.\nDuarte had been on vacation in Brazil since Jan. 15 with his family at the beach resort of Guaruja, officials said.\nDuarte, a member of the Colorado Party that has held power uninterruptedly since 1947, won office last April on a pledge to battle corruption.\nIn recent months, he has seen his public approval ratings soar to over 60 percent after moving to overhaul the country's highly unpopular Supreme Court and to shake up his Cabinet following a corruption scandal involving one of his top aides.