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The relationship between FARC and Patria Libre continued. An e-mail between RodrigoGranda, the FARC’s representative in Venezuela, and Raul Reyes indicated that six Paraguayanswould arrive for a six-month training course in January 2005. 23 Meanwhile, the EPP begandiversifying and expanding its operations. The Iturbe Sugar Mill was attacked in April 2004. 24 Inaddition the EPP attacked its first security target, taking and burning the police station at Kurusude Hierro, Concepcion. 25 Nobody seemed to pay attention; some thought the assailants were drugtraffickers. The EPP attacked and burned a second police station at Jhugua Ñandu on April 18, 2006.The objective in both was to steal weapons. It is reported that Osvaldo Villalba, aka CommanderAlexander, yelled to the police commander, “Tell Nicanor (referring to then president of ParaguayNicanor Duarte) that this has just begun!” 26 Although no casualties were suffered at either policestation, the organization also began assassinating a small number of particularly troublesome orhated policemen. 27 Despite this, the government continued to regard these events as purely criminalactivity carried out by persons with drug trafficking or other criminal, not political, motivations.Patria Libre did have a political agenda in addition to its “military” operations. While theremay have been as few as 15-20 combatants at this time, they were able to gain the broad support ofmany individuals within several peasant organizations. 28 This was due to the great neglect by thegovernment of the peasant grievances in northern Paraguay. Patria Libre members had participated inthese movements since the early 1990s and continued to encourage and participate in road blockadesand land invasions, offering protection to the marching peasants from police repression.From at least 2004 the insurgents began penetrating the Northern Peasants Organization orOCN. 29 In 2008, Patria Libre shifted its actions to more directly support the peasant organizationscauses. They kidnapped wealthy cattle-rancher Luis Lindstrom on July 31, 2008, who was releasedafter payment of a ransom of 300,000 dollars. 30 They also carried out several attacks against soyfarms, particularly those belonging to Brazilians. This played to twin causes. First, peasant protestsover commercial soy farming, which is most profitable on huge corporate farms, highlighted the factthat many peasants remained landless.A second important argument played to a national distrust of Brazilian immigrants, known as“Brasiguayos.” The Brazilian immigrants acquired cheap land in Paraguay, but rather than integrateinto Paraguayan society, remained in many ways tied to Brazil. They continued to speak Portuguese;created schools for their children in which the Brazilian educational curriculum was taught, flewthe Brazilian flag, and sang the Brazilian national anthem. The fear across Paraguay is that theBrasiguayos would eventually overrun and de facto “annex” Paraguay to Brazil.Two of the most significant attacks occurred on March 12, 2008, and December 5, 2008. Inboth incidents the targets were Brazilian owned farms, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worthof vehicles, machinery and warehouses were set on fire and destroyed by armed and uniformedguerrillas. The December attack was the first EPP action during the Lugo government. 31 During theMarch attack flyers were left behind with the name People’s Army of Paraguay (EPP) on them. Thiswas the first time this designation was used publicly. 3222“Larga Marcha del EPP,” Ultima Hora, October 25, 2009.23“Prueba Reina,” Revista Semana, August 12, 2005.24“Exhiben video en el que se observan prácticas para secuestrar a una mujer,” ABC Color, November 5, 2004 and “Practica filmada fue paraSecuestro de Cecilia,” ABC Color, March 1, 2005.25“Larga Marcha del EPP,” Ultima Hora, October 25, 2009.26“Larga Marcha del EPP,” Ultima Hora, October 25, 2009.27“EPP Inicio con Gobierno Anterior,” at http://concepcionnoticias.blogspot.com/2009/10/EPP-INICIO-CON-EL-GOBIERNO-ANTERIOR.htmlOctober 19, 2009.28“Los EPP no son mas de 14, pero tienen apoyo de mucha gente,” Ultima Hora, October 23, 2009.29“Mons. Zacarias cuenta evolución del EPP,” ABC Color, October 21, 2009.30“Larga Marcha del EPP,” Ultima Hora, October 25, 2009.31“Larga Marcha del EPP,” Ultima Hora, op., cit.32“Carmen Villalba afirma que seguiran incursiones armadas,” Ultima Hora, March 18, 2008.Security and Defense Studies Review 2009/Edición 2009/ Edicão 2009/ Volume 9, Issues 1 & 2 109