o i• - amnesty international australia · mestizo (mixed spanish and guarani indian). economical...

11
o I I 1 A 6 I A 0 A A •• ' -se 'IDA I •• . A A * A 1 t . A A A A 0 A : SO : i ' •• • • A : A A 0 DI , . A : A :A •• A * 0 A A I * A . I : A : " I e AA D• A • A A A A A I' A * . Is DO A A ' " •' II A A A 0 A III I . "II*

Upload: others

Post on 30-Jan-2020

0 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

o I•

• •• I1 • A

• • 6 I • A 0A• •

A •• ' •

-se 'IDA

I • • •• • .

A A * A

1

t

. A • A

•A

A 0 A

: SO

:i ' •

••• • A •

• :A A 0

• DI

•, .

A

: • •

A :A

• ••A * 0 A

A

I * A

. I :

A : "

I

e

AA

D• •

A • A

A • A • • A

A

• I'

A * .

Is • DO

• A

A' • •

• • •

" •' • •

II

A

A A 0 A

III • • I

• . • "II* •

Page 2: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is a worldwide human rights movement which isindependent of any government, political faction, ideology, economic interest orreligious creed. It works for the release of men and women imprisoned anywhere fortheir beliefs, colour, ethnic origin, language or religion, provided they have neitherused nor advocated violence.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL opposes torture and the death penalty in all cases and without reservation. It advocates fair and speedy trials for all political prisoners.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL seeks observance throughout the world of the UnitedNations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Standard MinimumRules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

O Amnesty International Publications 1977First published September 1977Original language: EnglishAl Index: P1)9/75/00/77Published by Amnesty International Publications,10 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7HF,England

Printed in Great Britain by Russell Press, GambleStreet, Nottingham NG7 4ET, EnglandDesigned by Redesign Cooperative, c/o 6 HadleyStreet, London NW1, England

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has consultative status with the United Nations(ECOSOC), UNESCO and the Council of Europe, has cooperative relations witlitheInter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States,and has observer status with the Organization of African Unity (Bureau for thePlacement and Education of African Refugees).

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is financed by subscriptions and donations of itsworldwide membership.

Although human rights and legalguarantees are fully provided byParaguayan law, persons suspected ofpolitical offences are denied allconstitutional safeguards. As a result,deaths under torture and unacknowledgeddetentions are routine practices. In thisleaflet, Al outlines cases of politicalprisoners reported to have died undertorture, and details of persons classifiedas 'missing' but who are believed to beheld in secret in police stations andmilitary detention centers in Paraguay.

Page 3: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

BACKGROUND

The Republic of Paraguay, situated in thecenter of South America, is the poorestcountry in the continent. Approximately70% of the population is involved in theagricultural sector. Outside Asunción, thecapital city, medical attention is virtuallynon-existent. Only one in six childrenreceives six years of primary education. Thepopulation of 2,500,000 is overwhelminglymestizo (mixed Spanish and GuaraniIndian). Economical and political conditionshave led 25-30% of the population to liveabroad, mainly in neighbouring Argentina. Alarge contraband trade in luxury goods anddrugs, totalling several million dollars a year,forms an integral part of the economic andpolitical system in Paraguay.

Despite having a formal parliamentary framework, Paraguay has been autocratically ruled by General Alfredo Stroessner since a coup d'etat brought him to power in 1954.

By agreement, the ruling Colorado Partyholds two-thirds and the toleratedopposition parties hold one-third of theparliamentary seats. For more than 20 yearsthe President, as a matter of routine, hasdeclared a "state of emergency" everythree months which is only lifted on the dayof elections.

In 1977, the constitution was changed topermit presidential re-election, allowingGeneral Stroessner to be president for life.

The 1967 Paraguayan constitutionprovides for basic human rights and legalguarantees, but this is invalidated by thecontinuing states of emergency which placepolitical offences outside the safeguards ofthe constitution.

The main human rights violationscommitted under General Stroessner's ruleare:

Page 4: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

TORTURE

BACKGROUND

indefinite detention without trial;

torture, sometimes resulting in death;

—"disappearance" following arrest.

Political prisoners come from all walks of

life. Real or alleged opponents of the

Stroessner regime face arbitrary

imprisonment. This may result from

individual activity or simply association with

a group that is seen to threaten the status

quo, such as the Church•sponsored Agrarian

Leagues of peasant farmers. To be

denounced by an informer is frequently

sufficient reason for arrc,t. Loss of liberty

and torture are systematically used to

discourage dissent.Following widespread international

criticism of detention without trial, fifty

political prisoners arrested in 1976 have been

charged and committed for trial. Three

detainees held for more than 18 yearswithout due process of law were released in

early 1977. Nevertheless, there are still

political prisoners who have been similarly

detained for between 5-18 years. There is

increasing evidence of deaths under torture

and "disappearances" after arrest.Political detainees were held in narrow,

overcrowded cells in local police stations

mostly in Asunción, until September 1976

when the majority were transferred to the

prison camp of Emboscada.Maltreatment and torture during the

initial period of detention incommunicado

are common. The constitutional limit of a

maximum of 48 hours' detention without

charge is not applied to political prisoners. A

period of detention incommunicado in a

place unknown to the prisoner's family and

lawyer normally follows arrest. The legal

provision of habeas corpus is not followed in

the case of political prisoners—either the

judicial authorities do not pursue writs of

habeas corpus in cases described by the

authorities as "political", or the head of the

police station or military barracks denies

holding the prisoner in custody.Torture of political prisoners during the

initial period of interrogation, or even

before any interrogation takes place, is

common in Paraguay. It is used not only as a

means of persuading suspects to disclose the

names of potential or real opponents of the

government, but also as a punishment and

deterrent for opposition activities.

The most common methods of torture

mentioned in testimonies are:

of a prod-like instrument called a

picana eléctrica;4. whipping with the teyo ruguai (guarani

word for a plaited leather whip often

with small stones attached to the ends)

or, with the cachiporra.(rubber

truncheon).

prolonged beatings on the chest and

face until the victim falls to the floor

where he or she is then kicked;the pileta (bath)—this is a bathtub

containing water filled with filth and

excrement into which the victim is

submerged until he or she losesconsciousness;the application of electric shocks to

sensitive parts of the body by means

The more brutal forms of torture take

place at the Departamento de Inyestigaciones

(Investigations Department) which is

situated in the center of Asunciem, opposite

the parliament building. It is the

headquarters of the political police. Another

torture center is the Departamento de

Vigilancia y Delitos (Department ofVigilance and Crimes), situated nearby. In

addition, torture is carried out in local

police stations which also serve as detention

centers for political prisoners. One such

police station is Comisaria Tercera.

Page 5: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

TORTUREDEATHS

"Some interrogation sessions last fordays, with teams of torturers takingturns. It is probable that thetorturers take amphetamines becausethe torture sessions are exhaustingeven for them. The sessions aregenerally carried out at dawn,particularly for the most 'serious'cases. They play loud radio music totry and disguise the terrible screams ofthe victims."

—Excerpt from a testimony aboutDepartamento de Investigaciones, dated May1976.

He was bleeding from the mouth, noseand face when he was thrown into ourroom. We thought he was dead as hedid not move. He had had his head putinto a toilet and had been severelybeaten all over his body. Because hisclothes were covered with blood,urine, and excrement, they were takenfrom him... a very old prisoner puthim on his mattress but nobody knewwhat to do as we had no medicalknowledge... "

—Excerpt from a testimony by a Europeantourist arrested in Paraguay in December 1976after complaining of theft of his money by apoliceman who had asked to see his identitydocuments."N.N. is a worker. She is young, aged

between 25 or 26. They arrested heron 17 August 1976. On 25 August shewas seen being removed on a stretcherfrom Investigaciones, where politicalprisoners are tortured. Her stomachwas swollen as a result of the largequantities of water she had swallowedduring the pieta. This is the mostcommon method of torture, as iselectric shocks to the most sensitiveparts of the body. It was also seenthat her hands were bloodstained. Shewas unconscious... "

—Excerpt from a testimony about a prisonerwho was arrested during a political meeting at afactory.

"That night we were awoken byshouting and screaming ... Somepolicemen brought in a verydark-skinned, curly•haired, almostnegro boy of about 16 years of age.

custody of the Ministry under yourcontrol!"

--Excerpt from an open letter to the Ministerof Interior from Bishop Demetrio Aquino ofCaacupe, dated 17 July 1976. The case ofArturo Bernal is described below.

An unknown number of victims of politicalrepression have died under torture or by

extra-judicial execution in Paraguay. Thelack of independence of the judiciarycoupled with the fear of reprisals, have leftmany cases undocumented.

When torture is used for interrogation

purposes, it is inevitable that the limit ofendurance will at times be passed and theprisoner will die. This is known to havehappened in the past in Paraguay andcontinues to occur.

In the late 1950s mutilated bodies withtheir hands tied behind their backs were

found floating down the River Paraguay.Similar findings were made in the 1960s and

"You can personally testify, Minister,to my concern for this man and forseveral other peasants from Piribebuywho were seized at the same time. At5.30 on the evening of 20 May I was inyour office at the Ministry of theInterior and I spoke to you personallyon behalf of these Christians from mydiocese. On 30 June in Caacupe and inthe presence of Father Ram6n Mayans,I repeated my urgent appeal. On bothoccasions you took note of the appealand promised to look personally intothe fate of these peasants who hadbeen arrested with Arturo Bernal... Isthis your reply? The dead body ofArturo Bernal: the mourning of apeasant family, a widow left withoutprotection and five young children leftwithout a father! And there can be nodoubt about it—the dreadfulresponsibility which you bear for thecruel death of one more citizen in the

Page 6: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

DEATHSDEATHS

1970s. It is possible to find a fewcorroborated cases in the past whichconstitute an important precedent to themore recent cases described here. In the caseof Jose Ferias, whose body was delivered tohis family on 12 March 1969, a legalautopsy revealed bloated lungs, broken ribsand a blood-clotted nose. It corroboratedallegations that he had been subjected tobeatings with rubber or leather thongs andthe "bath torture". The autopsy showed nosign of heart failure, which was the officialreason given by the authorities for the causeof death. The only death under torture tohave been officially recognized was the caseof a 71-year-old ek-army officer and warveteran, Benicio LOpez Quillen-les, who diedin December 1974.

There are also frequent reports of deathsduring police and military raids which areoften carried out with a considerable displayof violence. The cases of Silvano Flores andDionisio Hodes described below are some ofthe few documented examples of killingsduring raids in the countryside which wereapparently carried out as a means ofintimidation.

There appears to be no interest on thepart of the Paraguayan authorities ininvestigating such abuses of authority or, forthat matter, in bringing the offenders totrial.

sent by Mons&"tor Demetrio Aquino,Bishop of Caacupe, to the Minister of theInterior on 17 July 1976 stressing thegovernment's responsibility for the deathof Arturo Bernal. There was no officialresponse to this letter.

3. Juan Manuel CABRALAged 44 years; married with eightchildren. Died in Sanatorio Juan MaxBoettner in Asuncion on 20 October1976. He had reportedly been severelytortured during detention at the policestation at Villarrica.

1. Mario ARZAMENDIA FLORESAged 61 years; married with onedaughter. Army veteran who fought inthe Chaco war. He was employed by alocal parish in AsunciOn to distributeSendero, the publication of theParaguayan Episcopal Conference. Hewas arrested on 5 April 1976 when hevisited a house where alleged subversiveshad been captured earlier that day (seecase Nos. 4 and 9) and taken to theDepartatnento de Invest/gee/ones(Investigations Department—politicalpolice headquarters). On 11 April hisbody was delivered to his family at thepolice clinic. Despite numerous protestsand considerable publicity about thecircumstances of his death, no officialinvestigation is known to have takenplace.

Ferreira, who runs a free medical servicein the country town of Ybycui. Althoughpolice claimed that Joel had been thevictim of a crime of passion, there issubstantial evidence that he waskidnapped and tortured to death bymembers of the police. The evidence ofdeath under torture includes medicalcertificates, photographs of the corpseshowing marks of torture, contradictorytestimonies by police witnesses andcircumstantial evidence such as thedisappearnce of one of the witnesses tothe murder. An autopsy by three doctors

4.

2. Arturo I3ERNALAged about 50 years; married with fivechildren. A peasant farmer and leader ofthe Agrarian League in Piribebuy(Caacupe) and also a part-time Caritasofficial. On 12 May 1976 he wasarrested and taken to Investigaciones andon 6 July he died, reportedly undertorture. His body was taken from thepolice clinic to his family along with adeath certificate giving the cause of deathas "pneumonia". Enclosed with thisleaflet is a translation of an open letter

The corpse of Joel Filirtiga Speratti

fr

Juan Carlos DA COSTAFormer student leader. The authoritiesclaimed that he and Miguel Sanmart Garcia, a Spanish Jesuit priest, led theOPM, an allegedly leftwing organizationwhich the government claims to havediscovered in early April 1976. Anofficial report states that Juan Carlos DaCosta was killed in an armedconfrontation during a police raid on ahouse in AsunciOn on 5 April 1976.However, other sources claim that hewas only injured and then taken toInvestigaciones where he died undertorture.

Joel FILARTIGA SPERATTIAged 17 years. Died under torture inAsunciOn on 30 March 1976. He was theson of a well-known medical doctor,philanthropist and artist, Dr Joel Filartiga

6. Doroteo Silvano FLORESA peasant farmer with six children, fromSanta Rosa (Misiones), member of theAgrarian Leagues. On 14-15 April 1976his home was raided by security forces.He was injured and attempted to escapebut was captured and reportedly had histhroat cut. The police claim that hecommitted suicide. An editorial carriedby the Paraguayan weekly paper El

showed that he had died from multiplecuts and burns of a kind often caused bybeatings and electric shock treatment. Acourt case brought by the family toclarify the circumstances of JoelFilartiga's death has not yet beenresolved because of attempts by someauthorities to block the investigation.

5.

Joel Filitrtiga Speratti

Page 7: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

DEATHS DEATHS

1

leaving the other six young children inthe house. Only after three months didshe learn that her other children were stillalive. She was also reportedly torturedwith blows, pileta and electric shocks bypolice in the town of Paraguari. Althoughshe is reported to be illiterate, the police

accused her of rcading communist books .She was released without charge in early1977.

•* •• • ••$°.•

1 4.

11;M•7• • •• •

41114

. •••• •e• • 'IL

•• •••

r • • '• . . ' • 1. ' .*•*..e• • •.,• ...•. • •dtet...•,•....

44••• • ••

••• ••• • • • .••• :cit. • 0;7.4.

ft:I:. • • • • - • . •• • • ••:•01• • •• •

.

t.••• •••••••••••••:••••;••••:••••:•or

• ••••:• ••:••,, • • • ....t:•:•••44•••••.•••••

• • •••• • • • • I • • • • • •

• • •• •

I • • IF • •

g eir•• .4% 04 • ji:ft % •44,11%. •:e.8•

e•4 •

•• • V.

• •• 440iv4o, .• .1

•„el ••••• • •••:,

•••

,•-•••

IC/ ft, • • • • 41, 4• It • ••

• • ; • •11 • ',I, • • • • •* Z94.* • I.

• #

.

.•

.

• . •

• •• •• • . .. •

••••••

to

•••

.1.I .•••

AMP

Drawing by Dr. Joel Filartiga depicting hi:s-ors de;0

9. Mario Raril SCHAERER PRONO24-year-old psychologist who was allegedto be a member of the OPM. An officialreport claims that he was fatally wounded

in a gun battle when police raided hishome in Asunciem on 5 April 1976 andthat he died some hours later inRigoberto Caballero police clinic.However, several other sources report

that he was tortured in Investigacionesand died on 6 April as a result of thistreatment. His 22-year-old wife—seven

months pregnant at the time—was alsoalleged to be a member of the OPM, andwas arrested and severely tortured. She

later gave birth to a son, and bothmother and child were transferred toEmboscada prison camp. She was releasedsix months later. Other members of the

family were also arrested and it is reportedthat Mario Schaerer was tortured in front

of his mother.

Radical called on the authorities to makepublic the circumstances of his death andto provide the name of the doctor whosigned the death certificate. There hasbeen no official response to this appeal.Silvano Flores' wife Cristina was alsotemporarily detained in Investigaciones.

7. Sixto MELGAREJOAged 25 years; peasant farmer fromQuiindy. Arrested with his youngerbrother Miguel on 1 June 1976. Theirfather, Victor Melgarejo, was arrested afew days later. Their sister, MaximaMelgarejo, and her husband were alsodetained and have since disappeared (seelist of disappeared). Miguel was releasedsome days later after his arrest but Sixto

and his father were transferred to

Investigaciones and subjected to severetorture. Subsequently, Sixto's motherreceived a visit from the policeinstructing her to collect his body fromthe police clinic. Victor Melgarejocontinues in detention without trial.

8. Juan tie Dios SALINASA peasant farmer and victim of the

violent repression in Quiindy in thespring of 1976. He died in custody. Hisbody was reportedly so badly injured thatit was not handed over to his family.

His wife, Rosa Joaquina, who had givenbirth 40 days earlier, was arrested at the

same time and;took the baby with her, Mario Rath Schauer Prono

Page 8: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

DEATHS DISAPPEARANCES

10. Albino VERAAnother victim of the violent repressionwhich took place in May and June 1976in Quiindy. He was arrested on 10 June1976 in Tobatigue (Quiindy) by membersof the police detachment of San Juan(Misiones). After his arrest he wastransferred to Paraguari and died undertorture there in mid•June.

These are only the cases that werereported during 1976. Other cases of death::in detention reported in previous years havenever been satisfactorily explained. Examplesare the cases of Evasio BENITEZ ARMOA,Juan Jose FAR IAS, and Cendido OVIEDO.

There also remain cases where secrecysurrounding police and military operationsand the intimidation and isolation ofrelatives make it difficult to establishwhether a prisoner is dead or alive. Atypical case is that of Martino ROLONCENTURION, a peasant and leader of theAgrarian Leagues. According to an officialreport, he was killed during a dawn raid onhis home in Valle Apue (Lambare) on 4 April1976 in connection with the authorities'alleged discovery of the OPM. However,other reports claimed that he was arrestedwith his wife and subsequently died undertorture. More recent reports now indicatethat he is still alive and held in a militaryunit where he is undergoing severe torture.

. Bienvenido ARGUELLOAged 35 years. Reportedly abducted withanother paraguayan on 12 May 1975 fromClorinda, an Argentinan town near the

border with Paraguay. They were taken to

a nearby police station—ComisareFalcón and tortured. In October 1975they were reported to be in detention inParaguay. Although his companion is nowin Emboscada prison camp, BienvenidoArg0ello has not been acknowledged bythe Paraguayan authorities to be adetainee.

"The status of 'missing' seems to be a 1comfortable expedient to avoidapplication of the legal provisionsestablished in defence of personalfreedom, physical integrity, dignityand human life itself."

—Inter-American Commission of Human Rightsof the Organization of American States (OAS),June 1977.

Relatives of political prisoners and the fewlawyers who take up their cases have littlerecourse to the normal procedures of law.Writs of habeas corpus on behalf of"missing prisoners go unanswered andinquiries at police stations generally yieldno information.

The failure of the authorities torecognize arrests or provide any informationsometimes leads to the assumption that aprisoner is dead, although he or she maylater be located in detention.

2. Agustin GOIBURUAged 45 years; married with threechildren. Medical doctor andvice-president of the Movimiento PopularColorado—Popular Colorado Movement—MOPOCO. He had been living in exile inneighbouring Argentina since 1959. On

Page 9: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

DISAPPEARANCESDISAPPEARANCES

7 February 1977 he was taken to thelocal police station in the town ofParana in Argentina but released after afew hours with the explanation that hisdetention had been a mistake. However,while taking a patient to hospital twodays later, Dr Goiburti was abducted andhas since disappeared. In a similarincident in 1971 he was abducted fromParana and returned to Paraguay wherehe was held in detention and subjected tosevere torture. In 1972 he managed toescape and subsequently returned toArgentina. It is believed that he has againbeen returned to Paraguay.

10 DI DICIIIMOSIt

ANIVERSARIO OE

Some of these relatives were subsequentlyreleased. Others were transferred toEmboscada and still remain there.However, the four brothers disappearedafter their arrest.

The eight youngest children of ElixtoLopez were handed over to strangers,reportedly by order of the Delegado deGobierno of Itapua (local governor), whorefused to return them to relatives. Thewhereabouts of the youngest, one-year-old Miguela LOpez, are not known.

which took place in The Quiindy area inJune 1976, and subsequently disappeared.They had two children: Pablo, agedthree, and Isidoro, aged one.

A sister of Crescencio Benitez, SilviaGaleano from Costa Gaona, Paraguari,was detained in Emboscada prison campwith her two young children andreleased in February 1977.

4. Dorotco GRANDELA peasant farmer arrested on 2 May 1976in Caaguath by personnel of the SecondInfantry Division of Villarrica. Hisdisappearance was reported in the pressand denounced by the Church. After awrit of habeas corpus was submitted on27 May 1976, the Supreme Courtrequested information about thisprisoner from the commander of thearmed forces. The answer to the court,dated 18 June 1976 and signed by thecommander of the Second InfantryDivision, stated that Grandel was "notknown". However, a fellow prisoner, nowreleased, has testified to having shared acell with him in the military unit of theSecond Infantry Division. Grandel wasreported to have been detained withouttrial there until at least December 1976.According to the testimony, he had beenalone for about eight months in a smallcell in which conditions were very harsh.In addition he was suffering from a headinjury sustained at the time of his arrest.

I

I ; "

I

12. Amilcar OVIEDOAged 21 years. Arrested on 25 November1974 and held incommunicado inInvestigaciones. He was not included inthe general transfer of prisoners toEmboscada prison camp in September1976 and was reported to have"disappeared". It is possible that he maystill be held in Investigaciones but thiscannot be confirmed since the authoritiesrefuse to give any information about hiswhereabouts.

9. Carlos Jose MANCUELLOAged 24 years, electronic engineeringstudent. On 25 November 1974 he andhis pregnant wife Gladys Esther Rios deMancuello, a 22-year-old Argentinianwere arrested and taken toInvestigaciones. In September 1976 shewas transferred to Emboscada prisoncamp after giving birth to a son—theirsecond child. However, Carlos Mancuellowas not transferred and since that timethe authorities have refused to give anyinformation concerning his whereabouts.

3. Octavio Ruben GONZALEZACOSTAAged 30 years; married with two children.He was arrested on 3 December 1975 inAcaray (Alto Parana) in Paraguay. Policeofficers in Alto Parana claimed that hehad been transferred to Asunci6n, but inthe capital the arrest was denied by theauthorities. In October 1976, somesources reported that he had beenlocated in the basement of the armedforces headquarters, but this has notbeen officially confirmed. His widowedmother, 60-year-old Petrona Acosta deGonzalez, has been detained withouttrial since 29 November 1975.

13. Ramón PINTOSAged 21 years. Disappeared after hisarrest in May 1976 and is believed to havedied in custody. Two of his brothers arein Emboscada prison camp.I

5, 6, 7, 8. Elixto, Policarpo, Franciscoand Adolfo LOPEZFour brothers, arrested on 13 May 1976by members of the police detachment ofSan Juan (Misiones). Other members ofthe family were also arrested, includingtheir wives, children and their mother,73-year-old Ascención Maidana de Lopez.

10, 11, Maxima MELGAREJO DEBENITEZ and Crescendo BENITEZGALEANOSister and brother-in-lawof SixtoMelgarejo (see list of deaths). They werereportedly "dragged from their home likecattle" during the violent repression

On 10 December 1976,"Human Rights Day",the Paraguayan EpsicopalConference publicizedthe plight of families ofdisappeared prisoners inits publication Sendero.They printed aphotograph of CarlosJosé Mancuello's sonwho was born in prisonon 10 August 1975. Thecaption reads: "Hisfather Carlos JoseMancuello, detained on25 November 1974, washeld incommunicado inInvestigaciones until22 September 1976when he disappeared".

14. Carlos RAMIREZ BLANCOWas held incommunicado inInvestigaciones for several months in1976 and then disappeared.

Page 10: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

DISAPPEARANCES DISAPPEARANCES

15, 16. Benjamin and Carlos RodolfoRAMIREZ VILLALBABrothels, approximately 26 and 32 yearsold. Arrested in November 1974. Theywere detained incommunicado inInvestigaciones, but as in the cases ofCarlos Mancuello and Amilcar Oviedo(above) they were not transferred toEmboscada prison camp in September1976 when a mass transfer of politicalprisoners to that prison took place. Theyare believed to be still held inInvestigaciones.

Benjamin's wife was also arrested andis reportedly detained in Emboscadaprison camp.

who has been in detention without trialsince 1968, was also in Fernando de laMora police station and suffering from illhealth. The two women and the babywere subsequently transferred toEmboscada prison camp.

Many other cases of disappeared politicalprisoners reported during the 1960s andearly 1970s have remained unclarifieddespite efforts by their families to find outwhether they are dead or alive. Examples areNilo BENITEZ, Aurelio GAONA, DarioGilberto GONI MARTINEZ, LorenzoGONZALEZ, Lorenzo LOPEZ, LucioLOPEZ, and Anibal RIQUELME. Thefamily of Lorenzo LOpez, who disappearedin 1970, is still attempting to discover hisfate. In an open letter to the Minister ofInterior dated 19 May 1977 his fatherwrote:

"I am a humble 84-year-old peasant ...Before I die I should like theconsolation of knowing whether myson is alive or whether he was killedso that I can at least say a prayer forhim".

17. Diego RODASMarried with five children. Arrested inMay 1976 by members of the policedetachment of San Juan (Misiones) duringa violent period of repression againstmembers of the Agrarian Leagues. Hisbrother Dionisio Rodas was killed andother meMbers of his family were alsoarrested. Diego Rodas disappeared afterhis arrest.

16. Miguel Angel SOLERAged 54 years; married with threechildren. Lawyer, former student leaderand Secretary General of the ParaguayanCommunist Party. Politically active sincehis youth, he was arrested in 1947, 1955,

and 1957. During the last of these periodsof detention he was severely tortured.Since his latest arrest on 30 November1975 the authorities have refused to giveany information about him. During 1976there were conflicting reports aboutwhether he was alive or dead, and wherehe was being held.

Américo VILLAGRAReportedly abducted by Paraguayangovernment agents in November 1975from the boarding house in which he wasliving in the Argentinian town ofClorinda near the border with Paraguay.He subsequently disappeared.

Derlis VILLAGRAAged 36 years. Ex-student leader andalso reportedly a leader of the ParaguayanCommunist Youth. He was arrested on30 November 1975 as he enteredParaguay from Argentina where he hadbeen living in exile. He had previouslyspent several years in prison without trialin Paraguay. Shortly after his re-arrest inDecember 1975,he was seen inInvestigaciones but he has sincedisappeared and it is feared that he mayhave been killed. His pregnant wife,CelsaRamirez, was also arrested with him andtortured in Investigaciones. She wastransferred to Fernando dela Mora policestation and gave birth to a boy in April1976. Her mother, Maria Lina Rodas,Miguel Angel Soler

Page 11: o I• - Amnesty International Australia · mestizo (mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian). Economical and political conditions have led 25-30% of the population to live abroad, mainly

I

a • AI a aa • II aft • Gas a

a • a' a a

aw a ll • a • •

II a • a • all'. • • . I III".

' II a• • S • I 0 ' • 0

"0 a • el ft • • 0 0a a • '

•' . " 0 0 i sea. 0 MI

•e 0 III • • 00 '

00 • 0 0 a ' O. • •••

0 "0. •a- • 0 0 0 0'0 a

IIa a 0 fs a 0 9

a • • " 11 . It •so

II II •

III•. .11 •

ar A d. • • • 1.MI

.• • I II - • II ' I

A Iso .11 •

INI

I II •

' . I . •

I a • a

it •1

aa aa a a • 00 " 0 0 0

•a •• 0 • • i sac•