US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION1413

UNCLAS ASUNCION 001413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR 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 DAN JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ECON, PHUM, SOCI, KOCI, SNAR, PA 
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UPDATE, NOV.06 - 
NOV.12 
 
 
 1. (U) Summary: 
-- SENAD Dismantles Drug Band 
-- Russia Plans to Open an Embassy in Paraguay 
-- 35 Percent of Street Children are Victims of Sexual 
Exploitation 
 
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SENAD Dismantles Drug Band 
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2. (U) On 11/08, SENAD agents dismantled a drug band that had 
been operating for years, trafficking cocaine from Colombia 
through Asuncion to Europe. The 6 members of the band 
arrested on 11/8 included 2 Colombians, 3 Bolivians, and 1 
Spaniard. All six individuals remain in the custody of 
Paraguayan authorities. DEA informed that this operation was 
made possible due to cooperation provided by two couriers who 
were arrested on 9/24. 
 
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Russia Plans to Open an Embassy in Paraguay 
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3.(U) On 11/9, President Putin announced that Russia plans to 
open an Embassy in Asuncion.  At the beginning of this year, 
the Paraguayan government renewed its diplomatic 
representation in Moscow. NOTE: Paraguay's Embassy to Russia 
had closed in 1998. END NOTE. The primary area of interest 
appears to be exports of Paraguayan beef. As of July 2005 
Russia is the principal buyer of Paraguayan beef, and over 
the last year Paraguay's export of beef to Russia have 
increased by 126 percent. 
 
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35 Percent of Street Children are Victims of Sexual 
Exploitation 
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4.(U) On 11/7, the Municipal Advisory Council on the Rights 
of Children and Adolescents (CODENI) a government 
organization, reported the results of a study of street 
children in Ciudad del Este (CDE), 270 miles west of 
Asuncion. According to the findings 1,050 children between 
the ages of 8-16 survive by begging, working or stealing in 
the streets of CDE, and 35 percent of street children are 
exposed to sexual exploitation.  According to the Council, 
most activities of the children which include prostitution, 
stealing and selling drugs, are with the consent of the 
parents or guardians. The study also indicated that many of 
the children are employed as mules to traffic drugs and arms 
to Brazil. On 11/10, a representative of the Inter-American 
Commission for Children's Human Rights, Paulo Sergio 
Pinheiro, announced a visit to Paraguay to study the 
conditions of street children in the country. NOTE: National 
Secretariat for Children and Adolescents, said that they are 
 
SIPDIS 
analyzing the study conducted by CODENI but they are certain 
that the findings are correct and precise based on other 
recent studies the Secretariat has conducted in CDE. 
JOHNSON