PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, SEPTEMBER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000950

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2026
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SMIG KWMN KCRM SNAR ECON PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, SEPTEMBER
9 - 15

Classified By: PolOff Sterling Tilley; Reasons 1.4(b),(d).


1. (U) SUMMARY:

-- TIP Victim Return, Trafficker Captured
-- Development Program for Women Announced
-- Case of Accomplices of Mendes Mesquita Back on Track
-- Willie Earns Big Bones In Drug Seizures


TIP VICTIM RETURNED, TRAFFICKER CAPTURED


2. (U) Paraguayan police arrested Bolivian citizen Jorge
Antonio Cortes Villena on September 6 for recruiting young
women to work in Santa Cruz, Bolivia as prostitutes. Other
members of Cortes' group that were arrested include Bolivian
Ramiro Noguer Garcia and Paraguayans Juana Rocio Adorno
Silguero and Jorge Kraufer Gimenez. Rosa Otazu, Director of
Policy in the Secretariat of Children and Adolescents, told
PolOff one of the minor victims, Tamara Giselle Pacheco
Bogarin (16 years old),returned to Asuncion on September 8.
Otazu said the mother reported to authorities that two of her
daughters had been taken to Bolivia which prompted Paraguayan
authorities to open the initial investigation. Pacheco is
from Lambare, in greater Asuncion, and lives with her mother
and 4 siblings. Otazu stated that Pacheco is receiving
medical and psychological care in Asuncion. (NOTE: Otazu
also stated that there are 6 other Paraguayan victims in
Santa Cruz and believes they are all minors. To date, they
are awaiting repatriation. END NOTE.)

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN ANNOUNCED


3. (U) Maria Jose Argana, Minister of the Women's Affairs
Secretariat, announced a development program for women in the

SIPDIS
Itapua Department on September 12. According to Argana,
poverty is exacerbated in Itapua due to the lack of
educational opportunities and jobs for young women. She told
PolOff on September 13 that this new project will assist 150
women in 5 districts of Itapua (Encarnacion, Cambyreta, San
Juan del Parana, Coronel Bogado, and San Cosme). The project
aims to instruct women on job training, health and general
economics issues. (NOTE: The project is supported and
organized by the Ministry of Women's Affairs, the Itapua
Department Government and Yacyreta Binational Entity, which
is responsible for the Yacyreta Dam operations. END NOTE)

CASE OF ACCOMPLICES OF MENDES MESQUITA BACK ON TRACK


4. (C) Senate Vice-President Armando Espinola shared with
PolCouns concerns on August 29 that a move was afoot to throw
out the case against the five accomplices of notorious
Brazilian drug trafficker Ivan Mendes Mesquita who was
extradited to the U.S. in June 2005. An Appeals Court Judge
had already dropped the narcotics trafficking charges against
the five and Espinola was concerned the Supreme Court might
entertain a habeas corpus appeal to have the conspiracy and
money launder charges dropped and the defendants released.
PolCouns flagged concerns with Supreme Court Justice Antonio
Fretes who offered assurances the habeas corpus claim would
be rejected. The Anti-Narcotics Secretariat's (SENAD) legal
advisor Sixto Ortega told PolCouns on September 14 that he
had learned two of the three Supreme Court Justices on Penal
Sala had already written opinions rejecting the claim
assuring it stood no chance for approval.

WILLIE EARNS BIG BONES IN DRUG SEIZURES


5. (U) The National Anti-Narcotics Secretariat (SENAD) Canine
Unit (K-9) made two significant cocaine seizures over the
past two weeks in Mariscal Estigarribia, Boqueron Department
(approximately 300 miles northwest of Asuncion). INL-funded
canine Willie detected 4.7 kilos of cocaine hidden in the
rims of spare tires during a routine inspection of a bus'
luggage compartment on September 1 at the Liza Arami bus
stop. This find led to the arrest of Luis Alberto Sovero

Sanchez, a Peruvian national, who was the owner of the tires.



6. (U) Willie detected 6.3 kilos of cocaine located in a box
underneath a seat inside a bus on September 14 during a
separate inspection at the same Liza Arami bus stop. Three
Bolivian nationals, Arsemio Jaldin Rojas, Celera Flores, and
Pereca Yucra Lemos were arrested by SENAD for cocaine
trafficking. (NOTE: Mariscal Estigarribia is near the border
of Bolivia, in the heart of the Paraguayan Chaco, a region
notorious for drug trafficking. These seizures represent
further proof of the return on our INL-funded canine program.


CASON