U.S. Military in Paraguay Prepares To “Spread Democracy”

uNkNowN ElEmEnt

U.S. Military in Paraguay Prepares To “Spread Democracy”
by Benjamin Dangl September 16, 2005

Controversy is raging in Paraguay, where the U.S. military is conducting secretive operations. 500 U.S. troops arrived in the country on July 1st with planes, weapons and ammunition. Eyewitness reports prove that an airbase exists in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay, which is 200 kilometers from the border with Bolivia and may be utilized by the U.S.
military. Officials in Paraguay claim the military operations are routine humanitarian efforts and deny that any plans are underway for a U.S. base. Yet human rights groups in the area are deeply worried. White House officials are using rhetoric about terrorist threats in the tri-border region (where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet) in order to build their case for military operations, in many ways reminiscent to the build up to the invasion of Iraq. (1)

The tri-border area is home to the Guarani Aquifer, one of the world’s largest reserves of water. Near the Estigarribia airbase are Bolivia’s natural gas reserves, the second largest in Latin America. Political analysts believe U.S. operations in Paraguay are part of a preventative war to control these natural resources and suppress social uprisings in Bolivia.

Argentine Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel commented on the situation in Paraguay, "Once the United States arrives, it takes it a long time to leave. And that really frightens me." (2)

The Estigarribia airbase was constructed in the 1980s for U.S. technicians hired by the Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, and is capable of housing 16,000 troops. A journalist writing for the Argentine newspaper /Clarin/, recently visited the base and reported it to be in perfect condition, capable of handling large military planes. It’s oversized for the Paraguayan air force, which only has a handful of small aircraft. The base has an enormous radar system, huge hangars and an air traffic control tower. The airstrip itself is larger than the one at the international airport in Asuncion, the Paraguayan capital. Near the base is a military camp which has recently grown in size. (3)
(snip/...)
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=20&ItemID=8744

UIUCstudent01 · Intermediate Crude Joined: Mar 10, 2005 Posts: 894

I wonder if this has anything to do with Venezuela...

A staging ground possibly?

Or is it just a control thing...
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some_guy282 · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jul 18, 2004 Posts: 691

I wonder what kind of a pretext the US would use for invading Venezuela? WMD's were used for Iraq, and that's an argument being recycled for possible use in Iran. But Venezuela? No one is claiming they're trying to make any kind of WMD's. There's plenty of anger and finger pointing at Chavez, but nothing I see that provide an excuse to invade.
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Deleterius · Tar Sands Joined: Jul 23, 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Europe

" I wonder what kind of a pretext the US would use for invading Venezuela? "
Some_guy282

May be there will be a Time during wich the US governement wont even need any more pretexts for going to (any) war ...

fossil_fuel · Heavy Crude Joined: Jan 03, 2005 Posts: 408

paraguay doesn't border venezuela, so it doesn't make much sense as a staging area?

MicroHydro · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Apr 10, 2005 Posts: 1286

The US military is a bit busy at the moment spreading freedom and democracy to New Orleans. Wayne Madsen reports that the troops and mercenaries might have killed up to 150 US citizens.
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some_guy282 · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jul 18, 2004 Posts: 691

MicroHydro · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Apr 10, 2005 Posts: 1286

RdSnt

frankthetank

Rdsnt~Scary thing is that a lot of Americans would probably be in favor of such a use of power. When it starts to hit the pocket book, it starts to get personal.

shakespear1 · Light Sweet Crude Joined: May 13, 2005 Posts: 1552

I think that group is there to get to "know" the local situation so that in the future they can lead the fight for more democracy in oil regions.

There is none of this in Niger at the moment. Wonder why? Cool

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savethehumans · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 1541

abelardlindsay

I've spent a lot of time in South America. Paraguay is the least politically and economically significant country on the continent. It's tiny, ugly and landlocked and doesn't even have much good farm land. There's a couple of agrarian religious organizations like the Menonites and the Moonies who try to farm on this snake and thorn filled chaco which not even the natives really care for which takes up most of the country. Over in the east there is small time political squabbling and black market operations in Asuncion. There's a tiny little bit of tourism and other than that it's a backwater. Venezuela is on the other side of the continent. MAYBE there's something to do with monitoring the Bolivian situation, such as giving support to the government there as Bolivia actually has some strategic energy resources but really Paraguay is not really anyplace special.

MrBean · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Sep 26, 2004 Posts: 1144

hoplite · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 22, 2004 Posts: 300