PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, NOV.06 -

UNCLAS ASUNCION 001413 SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/IFD/OIA STATE PASS TO USAID FOR LAC/AA STATE PASS TO USTR FOR LYANG NSC FOR SUE CRONIN TREASURY FOR OSIA MAUREEN WAFER TREASURY FOR OTA WARFIELD, VAN KOCH, MILLAR COMMERCE FOR ITA SARAH COOK SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD DAN JOHNSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PHUM SOCI KOCI SNAR PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, NOV.06 - NOV.12 ¶1. (U) Summary: -- SENAD Dismantles Drug Band -- Russia Plans to Open an Embassy in Paraguay -- 35 Percent of Street Children are Victims of Sexual Exploitation -------------- SENAD Dismantles Drug Band -------------- ¶2. (U) On 11/08, SENAD agents dismantled a drug band that had been operating for years, trafficking cocaine from Colombia through Asuncion to Europe. The 6 members of the band arrested on 11/8 included 2 Colombians, 3 Bolivians, and 1 Spaniard. All six individuals remain in the custody of Paraguayan authorities. DEA informed that this operation was made possible due to cooperation provided by two couriers who were arrested on 9/24. -------------- Russia Plans to Open an Embassy in Paraguay -------------- 3.(U) On 11/9, President Putin announced that Russia plans to open an Embassy in Asuncion. At the beginning of this year, the Paraguayan government renewed its diplomatic representation in Moscow. NOTE: Paraguay's Embassy to Russia had closed in 1998. END NOTE. The primary area of interest appears to be exports of Paraguayan beef. As of July 2005 Russia is the principal buyer of Paraguayan beef, and over the last year Paraguay's export of beef to Russia have increased by 126 percent. -------------- -------------- 35 Percent of Street Children are Victims of Sexual Exploitation -------------- -------------- 4.(U) On 11/7, the Municipal Advisory Council on the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CODENI) a government organization, reported the results of a study of street children in Ciudad del Este (CDE),270 miles west of Asuncion. According to the findings 1,050 children between the ages of 8-16 survive by begging, working or stealing in the streets of CDE, and 35 percent of street children are exposed to sexual exploitation. According to the Council, most activities of the children which include prostitution, stealing and selling drugs, are with the consent of the parents or guardians. The study also indicated that many of the children are employed as mules to traffic drugs and arms to Brazil. On 11/10, a representative of the Inter-American Commission for Children's Human Rights, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, announced a visit to Paraguay to study the conditions of street children in the country. NOTE: National Secretariat for Children and Adolescents, said that they are SIPDIS analyzing the study conducted by CODENI but they are certain that the findings are correct and precise based on other recent studies the Secretariat has conducted in CDE. JOHNSON