PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, JULY 15 -

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000749

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EB/IFD/OIA AND INL - ABBY SMITH
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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SMIG KWMN PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, JULY 15 -
21 2006



1. (U) SUMMARY:
-- Ambassador Donates Computers for TIP
-- Poor Children Forced into Shelters
-- 60 Percent of Adolescents Out of School

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Ambassador Donates Computers for TIP
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2. (U) On 7/20, the Ambassador donated four computers to the
Secretariat of Repatriations to assist the office in

SIPDIS
supporting victims of trafficking to return home, digitize
their records and allow for the opportunity to communicate
more effectively with other agencies involved in assisting
victims. Nicacia Maldonado, Minister of the Secretariat,
accepted the donation and spoke to the press with the
Ambassador about our collaborated efforts to combat TIP.
Repatriations has long been underfunded and still does not
have a sufficient number of computers for the more than 30
employees in the office. This donation exemplifies the
continued support that

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Poor Children Forced into Shelters
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3. (U) On 7/18, youth judge Ana Ovelar and Director of
Housing in the Ministry of Justice Maria Auxiliadora Martinez
intervened with the Spanish-run NGO, Remar, which is accused
of misusing funds for the children. On 7/12, Santos Merino,
the director of Remar committed to presenting documents to
the court within 48 hours, however he failed to do so. The
documents requested are in relation to the money that Remar
received from the Paraguayan Government in subsidies for the
maintenance of Remar shelters. Ovelar and Martinez went to
the central office of Remar in Asuncion to confiscate the
documents. It is suspected that Remar is illegally exporting
furniture and crafts to Spain, taking advantage of the fact
that the organization is exempt from taxes. The case is being
presented to Attorney General Ruben Candia Amarilla.


4. (U) On 7/19, it was reported that 2,573 minors under the
age of 18 are living in one of the 56 shelters in Paraguay,
according to a census conducted by the Institution of
Comparative Studies in Punitive and Social Sciences (INECIP)
with support from the United Nations Children,s Fund
(UNICEF). Carlos Mazuera, a representative of UNICEF, noted
that this is a call for attention, as to why so many children
are being institutionalized. Mazuera stated that the
Convention on Children,s Rights declared that the family is
a child,s natural environment and children should only be
institutionalized as a last resort. Mazuera emphasized that
poverty is not a reason for institutionalizing a child.
Eduardo Gallardo, an official of the UNICEF project,
confirmed that building more shelters is not the solution for
child poverty, as living in these shelters puts children at
higher risks, alluding to the accusations of sexual abuse of
minors living in the Remar shelters.


5. (U) On 7/19, it was also reported that 27 children have
disappeared from Remar shelters. The houses in question are
located in Itagua, San Lorenzo, two in Fernando de la Mora,
and one in Asuncion. On 7/17, officials from the Ministry of
Justice went to a shelter where 10 children are reported to
live, however only 4 were actually there. Ovelar met with
Santos Merino to discuss the missing children.

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60 Percent of Children Out of School
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6. (U) On 7/19, the National Advisory of Education and
Culture (CONEC) released a report indicating that more than
230,000 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 are not/not
in school. This represents 60 percent of that age group. The
Ministry of Education stated that the purpose of secondary
school is to prepare students to enter the work force or

centers of higher education. CONEC recommends improving the
education system in Paraguay first, and then addressing the
problem of delinquency. The current goal of CONEC is to
centralize education reform in order to achieve a minimum
standard of quality, and then to increase participation. The
study found that on average a family pays approximately 106
USD per child, per year for secondary education, and the
government pays 353 USD per child per year. The report notes
that in Paraguay the budget for education per person is three
times lower than the regional average.
CASON