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