Lugo made no public comments about his military shake-up, but opponents said the timing of the moves _ a day after Lugo denied rumors of a military plot to unseat him _ was disrespectful to the military and could even be part of a plot to seize more power.

"These fired chiefs will now be seen as coup-plotters in the eyes of the public," complained retired Gen. Mario Soto, who commanded the military for Lugo's predecessor Nicanor Duarte.

Earlier in the week, Lugo responded to a reporter's question by denying he faces any risk of a military coup, though he said there could be small groups in the military that are linked with politicians or that could be used for political purposes.

Colorado Party politicians, who still dominate Congress despite losing the presidency to Lugo for first time in 61 years, suggested without offering evidence that Hugo Chavez of Venezuela could be guiding Lugo's hand.

"Lugo is pushing a Chavista plan that consists of creating chaos in the country, ordering a state of emergency and assuming all the powers," suggested Sen. Juan Carlos Galaverna.

Opponents of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya made similar allegations before his country's military shot up his house and sent him into exile in June, prompting a still-unresolved constitutional standoff.

But Paraguay's military is hardly the powerful force it was under Gen. Alfredo Stroessner's long dictatorship, which ended in 1989.

Retired Gen. Luis Benitez told The Associated Press recently that the air force is now just a symbolic force, with no functioning war planes, and that the other armed forces also lack fighting power.

The armed forces' budget has steadily shrunk in recent years, and its arsenal is now largely obsolete. The 1992 constitution declared that Paraguay renounces war.

The posture worries some military figures and politicians in Paraguay because most of the country's neighbors are upgrading their weaponry.