PARAGUAYANS UNCOVER MORE EVIDENCE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000877 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH AND LSALES E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2033 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAYANS UNCOVER MORE EVIDENCE OF STROESSNER-ERA ABUSES Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Michael J. Fitzpatrick for reaso ns 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A leading Paraguayan human rights activist discovered numerous personal records belonging to political prisoners tortured during the Stroessner regime (1954-89) in a building then used by the Interior Ministry. Further evidence of Stroessner-era human rights abuses will be released in 2009. Human rights activists also petitioned several foreign governments to release documents related to the Stroessner regime and Operation Condor, and will petition the USG to do the same in 2009. The further discovery of Stroessner-era "terror archives" may allow more victims and their families to seek monetary compensation, but likely will not bring those who committed the abuses to justice. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Paraguayan human rights activist Martin Almada, accompanied by Misiones Department Governor Victor Hugo Pereira, discovered October 30 numerous records belonging to political prisoners tortured in the 1970's and 1980's in the basement of an Asuncion building used by the Interior Ministry. Almada told PolOff December 30 that Pereira and he found dossiers with identification cards, photos, and personal data sheets hidden in a sealed room. Almada would not confirm specific details about the discovery until the Public Ministry's forensics lab releases its full analysis; however, he asserted that the room -- dubbed by the press as a second "terror archive" -- contained "a considerable amount" of documentation. (NOTE: Almada discovered the original "Terror Archive" in 1992. That archive contains over 300,000 personal records on over 23,000 individuals targeted for political persecution during the Stroessner regime. END NOTE.) ¶3. (C) Almada told PolOff December 30 that he -- with the assistance of the current Interior Ministry -- uncovered further evidence of human rights abuses committed at several locations used by the ministry during the Stroessner regime as torture chambers, and he said he planned to make these discoveries public next year. (NOTE: The Paraguayan Truth and Justice Commission's 1,000-page final report released August 28 concluded that as many as 128,100 people, or one-half of one percent of Paraguay's population, were potential direct victims of Stroessner-era human rights abuses. The Commission made its conclusions based on 2,130 testimonies provided by victims and their relatives, and on documents found in the original "Terror Archive." The Commission urged the Paraguayan government to investigate approximately 2,800 individuals who allegedly committed abuses while working for Stroessner. END NOTE.) Almada told PolOff that he relied on eyewitness testimonies to help locate these new "terror archives," and that informants only recently began to come forward with information. He noted that many potential informants feared reprisal from Stroessner-era officials still in power. Almada confirmed that a former police officer who provided food to tortured prisoners informed Almada of the sealed room discovered October 30. ¶4. (C) Almada stated that he petitioned several foreign governments to release documents related to the Stroessner regime and Operation Condor, and that he plans to petition the USG to do the same in 2009. He said that after considering his petition, the German government released December 26 archived documents related to Operation Condor. Almada said that he is working with President Lugo's administration to bring suspected Stroessner-era human rights abusers to justice, including Stroessner's long-time Interior Minister, Sabino Augusto Montanaro. (NOTE: Montanaro fled to Brazil following Stroessner's 1989 ouster, and now resides in Honduras under political asylum. A Paraguayan court petitioned the Honduran government in 1989 to extradite Montanaro back to Paraguay, but Hondura has not complied with this request; Montanaro's case remains open. END NOTE.) ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Although the further discovery of Stroessner-era "terror archives" may allow more victims and their families to seek monetary compensation, it may not bring those who committed the abuses to justice. The discovery could encourage the Paraguayan government to dedicate more resources to compensate victims and investigate suspects. That said, we do not expect a flood of new criminal prosecutions, and actual convictions of any Stroessner-era abusers are even less likely. END COMMENT. Please visit us at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion FITZPATRICK