Security and Defense Studies Review - Offnews.info

While the police and the military flailed around in the countryside, the EPP scored a propagandacoup on April 30, 2009 by planting a propaganda bomb in the women’s bathroom of the NationalJustice Palace in Asuncion. The bomb was discovered and removed from the building to a nearbypatio, where it exploded harmlessly. 38 A few months later, the EPP carried out another high-profilekidnapping, on October 16, 2009 grabbing cattle rancher Fidel Zavala from his Estancia Mable farmin Paso Barreto. Led by Osvaldo Villalba between a dozen to 15 well-equipped and armed uniformedmen and women assaulted the farm house. Along with Zavala, the guerrillas carried off one of thefarm’s all-terrain vehicles, which they drove to another place on the land, then abandoned. They alsobooby-trapped the vehicle with an improvised bomb. When the truck was discovered and searched,the bomb exploded, wounding two police officers, one seriously. The kidnappers subsequentlydemanded from the Zavala family a five-million dollar ransom. 39 The kidnapping provoked a newround of police and military operations in San Pedro and Concepcion departments, efforts that provedequally fruitless. (As the Security and Defense Studies Review was being prepared for publication,Zavala was liberated after paying an unknown ransom, making statements to the press on behalf ofthe EPP and delivering butchered meat to poor communities.) 40Despite the seeming impunity of the group, however, some chinks do seem to be appearingin the EPP’s armor. The capture of the documents in August was important and there have alsosubsequently been at least two desertions from the group. The first was by a young woman whoappears to be an unimportant low-level recruit, 41 but the second deserter was Carlos Espínola, aka“Claudio,” trained outside Paraguay by Colombian and Ecuadorean specialists. Claudio appearedin the video in 2004 and was a member of the security team at the house in Ñemby, where CeciliaCubas was kept captive. 42 It is hard to judge how devastating this desertion will prove to be, but fora relatively small group it could be significant. Since that time several additional arrests have beenmade, mostly so-called logistical support elements to include Jose Villalba. 43The documents captured in August 2009 but probably written in early 2009 provide much insightinto the organization. First, they indicate that EPP has a strategic plan. EPP wanted to set up astrategic base area in the Upper Parana, a region which shares borders with Brazil and Bolivia. Thewooded terrain is difficult, making it an ideal area in which to hide. The borders provided majorlogistics routes into the zone as well as routes of retreat in the face of government action. 44 Inaddition, they would expand into other areas of the country. In each of the areas the forces of the EPPwere to be divided into four categories: A) Full-time combatants, B) Part-time combatants or militias,C) Logistics support forces, D) Internal and External political support and propaganda). 45From Cuba to Concepcion and CaaguazuAt the time when the documents were written, in or about January 2009, the EPP claimed to numberaround 60 militants, but how these militants were divided up was not clear. Other information mayindicate that most of these were non-combatants as plans were being made to have 30 full-timeguerrillas divided into three columns, each with responsibility for a department by 2010. Each ofthese columns was to be supported by a group of 10-15 militia members that could reinforce actionsas required. The target departments were Concepcion, San Pedro and Caaguazu. The militias wereto carry out ranch burnings, roadblocks and land invasions. 46 Presumably the full-time guerrillas38“Larga Marcha del EPP,” Ultima Hora, October 25, 2009.39“Conmueve a Paraguay una ola de Secuestros Extorsivos,” La Gaceta, October 18, 2009. also “Identifican a hermano de Carmen Villalba comocabecilla del plagio,” http://concepcionnoticiasblogspot.com/2009/11/identifican-hermano-de-carmen-villalba.html, November 24, 2009.40“Fidel Zavala Serrati fue Liberado Anoche,” ABC Color, January 18, 2010.41“Se entrega joven vinculada al EPP,” ABC Digital, 17 de diciembre, 2009.42“Fiscal dice que Espínola es un experto en explosivos y rehenes,” Ultima Hora, December 30, 2009.43“Profugo Jose Villalba Cae en Concepción,” ABC Color, January 31, 2010.44“El Manual del EPP,” captured documents obtained from the Paraguayan Fiscalia catpured on August 1, 2009. Many of these documents were alsopublished in a special edition of La Nacion on January 23, 2010 entitled “El Documento del Terror: El Manaul del EPP.”45Ibid.46Ibid.Security and Defense Studies Review 2009/Edición 2009/ Edicão 2009/ Volume 9, Issues 1 & 2 111