PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, SEPTEMBER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000950 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/BSC AND 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 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