By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

          ASUNCION, Paraguay -- Soldiers believed to be loyal to a
          former coup plotter barreled through Paraguay's capital in armored
          personnel carriers and parked in front of the legislative building for
          several hours before ending their brief uprising early today.

          The crisis was the latest to confront this landlocked South American
          nation, which was last thrown into upheaval in March 1999 when Raul
          Cubas was ousted as president and replaced by Luis Gonzalez Macchi
          after the assassination of the country's vice president.

          The roughly four-hour standoff today ended when soldiers of the army's
          First Division surrendered at 2:45 a.m., Col. Felix Dario Collante said.
          He refused to say how many turned themselves in but described them as
          "a few active officers and a retired general."

          "The situation is totally under control," Collante said. He said he ordered
          government tanks that had been called out to keep the peace to return to
          an army base.

          Interior Minister Walter Bower said the rebellious soldiers were
          sympathetic to former army Gen. Lino Cesar Oviedo, a fugitive wanted
          in connection with the Vice President Luis Argana's assassination last
          year and a brief mutiny in 1996.

          Three congressmen were detained, Collante said, although it was unclear
          what role, if any, they had played in the uprising. Paraguayan news media
          reported that 12 police officers had been detained as well, arrested at
          police headquarters.

          Life appeared to return normal today as shops and schools opened and
          people went about their business.

          At the legislature, however, hundreds of police with rifles slung on their
          shoulders guarded the building and the adjoining square. Soldiers in
          bulletproof vests checked identity papers at roadblocks on major
          highways leading from the capital and to the international airport. An
          armored car sat on a downtown street.

          Three civilians were reported injured, military spokesmen said, but it was
          not clear under what circumstances they were hurt.

          After the rebellion was quelled, President Gonzalez Macchi said in a
          national radio address that he was particularly grateful to the armed
          forces.

          "The military are the winners here because they aligned themselves with
          the state and with democracy," he said, adding that "it's time that we take
          a look ... at why this happened."

          During the standoff, the president imposed a 30-day state of emergency
          giving him special powers to deal with the situation, government
          spokesman Jaime Bestard said.

          The uprising began when army vehicles stationed themselves in front of
          the legislative palace in downtown Asuncion late Thursday. An
          Associated Press photographer saw three armored personnel carriers set
          up posts outside the building and heard shots fired.

          Congressman Marcelo Duarte, who was inside Congress at the time, told
          local radio the tanks fired at least two shots at the building. A strong
          explosion could be heard. Power was cut in Asuncion shortly after the
          tanks took up their positions and air force planes flew overhead.

          Oviedo, the former general the rebellious soldiers were reportedly
          sympathetic to, has yet to complete a 10-year sentence for a brief
          rebellion in April 1996 against former President Juan Carlos Wasmosy,
          authorities said.

          Oviedo fled Paraguay after Cubas resigned and was granted political
          asylum in Argentina, where he stayed before going into hiding days
          before Argentine President Fernando de la Rua took office Dec. 10. At
          last report, he claimed to be in a remote area of Paraguay, making
          sporadic telephone contact with news media and denouncing the
          government.