"in other South American countries such as kidnappings, torture, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings were routine and systematic during the Stroessner regime. Following executions, many of the bodies of those killed by the regime were dumped in the Chaco or the Río Paraguay. The discovery of the ""Archives of Terror"" in 1992 in the Lambaré suburb of Asunción confirmed allegations of widespread human rights violations. Pastor Coronel was the chief of the Department of Investigations, or secret police. He would interview people in a ""pileta"", a bath human vomit and excrement, or ram electric cattle prods up their rectums. In"
"did not launch the coup. The two generals, Rodríguez and Oviedo, fought a brief artillery duel over Asunción. After the coup, Stroessner fled to Brazil, where he lived in exile for the next 17 years. The eastern city of Puerto Flor de Lis, which had been renamed Puerto Presidente Stroessner in his honor, in 1989 was again renamed Ciudad del Este. Asunción's airport had been named after him during his regime, but was later renamed Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. Stroessner died on August 16, 2006, in Brasília, at the age of 93. The immediate cause of death was a stroke."
"would die in prison, without ever regaining his freedom following his imprisonment. He was condemned to twenty five years in prison, for his responsibility and personal involvement on several tortures and murders of political prisoners. Plagued by morbid obesity that caused many metabolic and cardiovascular complications, he died 19 September 2000, still a symbol of the political repression that had characterized Alfredo Stroessner's dictatorship. Pastor Coronel Pastor Milciades Coronel (9 August 1919 – 19 September 2000) was the chief of the Investigations Department during General Alfredo Stroessner's dictatorship of Paraguay. He is considered by human rights activists, like Martín Almada,"
"died of cancer in 1997. 1989 Paraguayan coup d'état The 1989 Paraguayan coup d'état, also known as La Noche de la Candelaria, was a coup d'état that took place on 2–3 February 1989 in Asunción, Paraguay led by General Andrés Rodríguez against the regime of long-time leader Alfredo Stroessner. The bloody overthrow which saw numerous soldiers killed in street fighting was sparked by a power struggle in the highest echelons of the government. Rodríguez's takeover spelled the end of Stroessner's thirty-four year long rule, at the time the longest in Latin America, and led to an array of reforms which"
"although his rule was marked by extensive human rights abuses. Stroessner and the ""Colorado"" party ruled the country from 1954 to 1989. The dictator oversaw an era of economic expansion, but also had a poor human rights and environmental record (see ""Political History""). Paraguay actively participated in Operation Condor. Torture and death for political opponents was routine. After his overthrow, the ""Colorado"" continued to dominate national politics until 2008. The splits in the ""Colorado"" Party in the 1980s, and the prevailing conditions: Stroessner's advanced age, the character of the regime, the economic downturn, and international isolation, were catalysts for anti-regime"
"asylum. He left with his son, Gustavo, and daughter-in-law and lived in a lakeside home, previously his summer home, until his death in 2006. President Andrés Rodríguez began his rule by reversing Stroessner's repressive measures, removing his loyalists from the military, and abolishing the death penalty. He also abolished the legislature, removed the sweeping ban on political parties, and organized elections to take place in May 1989. Rodríguez was elected to the presidency in the 1989 elections and served in that capacity until 1993, the first Paraguayan leader in decades to leave at the end of his first term. He"
"led to the liberalization of Paraguay. Alfredo Stroessner, a general and veteran of the Paraguayan Civil War and the Chaco War, came to power in the aftermath of the 1954 coup d'état. As president he declared a ""state of siege"" and instituted a number of laws and security reforms which gave him the power to suspend civil liberties, including habeas corpus and freedom of assembly. Between 1958 and 1988, Stroessner was reelected seven times by questionably high margins of victory (only in the 1968 election did an opposition candidate receive more than 20% of the vote). The United States was"
"Senate President Roberto Acevedo of the opposition Authentic Radical Liberal Party filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that the vote violated Senate rules. The Paraguayan Constitution prohibits presidential reelection since 1992 after the fall of the military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner, which extended between 1954 and 1989. The Stroessner administration, of the Colorado Party, was one of the longest and most repressive in Latin American history. The Paraguayan military dictatorship left more than 400 missing, more than 18,000 tortured and more than 20,000 exiles, according to data published in 2008 by the Paraguayan Truth and Justice Commission. However,"
"Koch only learned about the connections between the threats and the post appointments in 2001. The United States backed Alfredo Stroessner's anti-communist military dictatorship and played a ""critical supporting role"" in the domestic affairs of Stoessner's Paraguay in many ways, like with the U.S. Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thierry, who was sent to help the local workmen to build a detention and interrogation center named ""La Technica."" as part of Operation Condor. La Technica was also a well known torture centre. Stroessner's secret police, headed by Pastor Coronel, bathed their captives in tubs of human vomit and excrement, and"
"year 2006, the Interamerican Court of Justice condemned the State of Paraguay for the murder of Agustín Goiburú and its poor attempts to investigate the truth of his death. Pastor Coronel Alfredo Stroessner Agustín Goiburú Agustín Goiburú was a politician from Paraguay. He was the leader of the movement MOPOCO (Popular Colorado Movement) that represented the strongest opposition to the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner. He was murdered during the Condor Operative in 1977. He was a doctor, specialized in orthopedic surgery in Brazil. When he returned to the country, he worked in the Social Prevention Institute and in the Police"
"and wiped out by order of Stroessner. 1965-66: Assists USA in the invasion of the Dominican Republic. 1972: University of Asunción is destroyed by police. The Archbishop of Paraguay, Ismael Rolón Silvero, excommunicates chief of police and minister of the interior. 1974: Human rights abuses in Paraguay come to notice internationally, and Stroessner is accused of Slavery, Genocide [of tribes], corruption, torture and kidnapping, as well as supposedly protecting ex-Nazis living in Paraguay. 1988: Pope John Paul II visits Paraguay, increasing anti-Stroessner morale. 1989: General Andrés Rodríguez starts an uprising against Stroessner, and succeeds after an artillery duel over Asunción,"
"longest of Paraguay's extended dictatorships. The use of political repression, threats and death squads was a key factor in Stroessner's longevity as dictator of Paraguay. He had virtually unlimited power by giving a free hand to the military and to Minister of Interior Edgar Ynsfrán, who began to harass, terrorize, and occasionally murder family members of the regime's opponents. Stroessner's rule took a hard-line stance from the beginning. Soon after taking office, he declared a state of siege, which gave him the power to suspend constitutional freedoms. Under the state-of-siege provisions, the government was empowered to arrest and detain anyone"
"rivals contended could only have been obtained through massive fraud. On February 3, 1989, only six months after being sworn in for what would have been his eighth full term, Stroessner was ousted in a coup d'état led by General Andrés Rodríguez, his closest confidant for over three decades. One reason for the coup was that the generals feared one of Stroessner's offspring would succeed him. Of the two, Alfredo (aka 'Freddie'), was a cocaine addict and Gustavo, a pilot, was loathed for being homosexual. A more outlandish rumour was that Lino Oviedo threatened Rodríguez with a grenade if he"
"1989 Paraguayan coup d'état The 1989 Paraguayan coup d'état, also known as La Noche de la Candelaria, was a coup d'état that took place on 2–3 February 1989 in Asunción, Paraguay led by General Andrés Rodríguez against the regime of long-time leader Alfredo Stroessner. The bloody overthrow which saw numerous soldiers killed in street fighting was sparked by a power struggle in the highest echelons of the government. Rodríguez's takeover spelled the end of Stroessner's thirty-four year long rule, at the time the longest in Latin America, and led to an array of reforms which abolished numerous draconian laws and"
"the country's population. Not completely homogeneous, Paraguay has a history of other settlement, especially in the 20th century: Germans (the majority are Mennonites) with long-time Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner (President, 1954-1989) himself of German ancestry; Italians (around 40% of the total Paraguayan population is of full or partial Italian descent); Japanese with Okinawans; Koreans; ethnic Chinese; Arabs, Ukrainians; Poles; Southern Europeans; Jews; Brazilians; and Argentines are among those who have settled in Paraguay. There are also an estimated 234,000 Afro-Paraguayans, or 4% of the population. European and Middle Eastern immigrants began making their way to Paraguay in the decades following"
"a great decline in population and was left with political instability. Land in Paraguay has been known to be unequally distributed therefore prolonging rural poverty in Paraguay. Following the Triple Alliance War the nation underwent a 35-year dictatorship of President Alfredo Stroessner in the years of 1954 to 1989. Stroessner was known to take away many campesino's land in order to give it to military officials, foreign corporations and civilian supporters, ""over eight million hectares of state-owned land (20 percent of total land) were given away or sold at negligible prices to friends of the regime, who accumulated huge tracts"
"the sole candidate. A staunch anti-communist, Stroessner had the backing of the United States for most of his time in power. His supporters packed the legislature and ran the courts, and he ruthlessly suppressed all opposition. He kept his country in what he called a constant ""state of siege"" that overruled civil liberties, enforced a cult of personality, and tortured and killed political opponents. Membership in his Colorado Party was a prerequisite for job promotion, free medical care and other services. The constitution had to be modified in 1967 and 1977 to legitimize his six consecutive elections to the presidency."
"of Alfredo Stroessner that lasted until he was toppled in 1989 by an internal military coup. This marked the beginning of the ""democratic era"" of Paraguay. With around 7 million inhabitants, Paraguay is a founding member of Mercosur, an original member of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Lima Group. Also, the city of Luque, in Asuncion's Metropolitan Area, is the seat of the CONMEBOL. The Guarani culture is very influential and more than 90% of the people speak different forms of the Guarani language. Paraguayans are known for being a very happy"
"allegations, the Organization of American States requested a new election. In Paraguay, the conservative, right-wing Colorado Party ruled the country for over sixty years, including the American-supported dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner that lasted thirty-five years, from 1954 to 1989. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries of South America. This dominant-party system was temporary broken in the 2008 presidential elections, when practically the entire opposition united in the Patriotic Alliance for Change managed to elect former Bishop Fernando Lugo of the Christian Democratic Party as President of Paraguay. Lugo's government was praised for its social reforms, including investments in low-income"
"Pastor Coronel Pastor Milciades Coronel (9 August 1919 – 19 September 2000) was the chief of the Investigations Department during General Alfredo Stroessner's dictatorship of Paraguay. He is considered by human rights activists, like Martín Almada, to be the most feared torturer of the dictatorship. The discovery of the ""Archives of Terror"" showed that he was the perpetrator of several human rights violations. Born on 9 August 1919, Pastor Coronel was working in the Education and Culture Ministry when he was called by Alfredo Stroessner to reorganize the Investigations Department and turn it into the core of the political security"
"one of President Stroessner's most ardent supporters, due to his fervent anti-communism and Paraguay was the recipient of large amounts of U.S. military assistance during the 1960s and 1970s. The ""state of siege"" imposed by Stroessner soon after assuming the presidency was officially lifted in 1987; however, this move was largely symbolic as most of the country's stringent security provisions remained in place. In the late 1980s, political conflict broke out between two competing factions in the ruling Colorado Party. One faction, the ""militants"", vigorously supported Stroessner while the ""traditionalists"" sought a more open Paraguay and were less supportive of"
"Illegal drug trade in Paraguay The illegal drug trade in Paraguay is significant in both production of cannabis and trans-shipment of cocaine. In 2011 the United Nations reported that it was the largest cannabis producer in South America, accounting for 15 per cent of world cannabis production. It was also responsible for 30-40 tons of cocaine trans-shipment annually. Under President Alfredo Stroessner's dictatorship (1954 - 1989), Paraguay is said to have become ""a sanctuary for smugglers in arms, drugs and everyday goods such as whiskey and car parts,"" and Stroessner provided refuge to heroin dealer Auguste Ricord. In 1994 General"
"Suggesting the book is connected to more recent leaders of Paraguay, Deiner writes ""although ostensibly a fictionalized account of the life of El Supremo, the novel is also a thinly disguised attack on the politics and rule of Alfredo Stroessner, [the dictator] ruling Paraguay at the time ""I, the Supreme"" was published (in exile) in 1974."" In summary, Deiner suggest that the novel ""serves as the quintessential example of the personalist dictator model of Latin American political systems. Francia's was one of the earliest versions of this model, and Stroessner's was one of the last personalist dictator regimes."" Gerald Martin"
"Andrés Rodríguez (politician) Andrés Rodríguez Pedotti (June 19, 1923 – April 21, 1997) was the President of Paraguay from February 3, 1989 to August 15, 1993. He assumed the presidency in a coup d'état against 35-year dictator Alfredo Stroessner. Rodríguez had been Stroessner's closest confidant for 35 years. The two became so close that Rodríguez' daughter married Stroessner's elder son. However, relations between the two grew increasingly strained in the late 1980s. As the decade wore on, Rodríguez cultivated ties with the ""traditionalists"" in the long-dominant Colorado Party. This element of the party had supported Stroessner throughout his three-decade rule,"
"5:00pm on 3 February, the government under Stroessner surrendered. Rodríguez announced the surrender over the radio and said Stroessner was in custody and unharmed. The official death toll of the coup stood at 31 killed however other estimates put the actual toll between 150 and 250, the majority of them Stroessner's guards. The Catholic Church station Radio Caritas said up to 200 people were killed in the fighting. Stroessner was initially detained at the base of the 1st Army Corps but he was flown to exile aboard a LAP Boeing 707 to Brasilia, Brazil on 6 February after being granted"
"the dictatorship of Stroessner. The name of Juan Carlos Da Costa remained in the collective unknown, and just a few men knew his attempt to establish a revolution in the country until the discovery of the Terror Archives in 1992. Those secret documents showed all the horrors perpetrated by the police, including massive repressions and tortures but it also showed the great number of Paraguayans heroes that gave their lives to fight for their freedom and the freedom of the land in which they were born. Juan Carlos Da Costa Juan Carlos Da Costa (born 1944 in Asunción, Paraguay) was"
"media. They noted that 53% of those polled indicated that there was an ""uneasiness"" in Paraguayan society. 74% believed that the political situation needed changes, including 45% who wanted a substantial or total change. Finally, 31% stated that they planned to abstain from voting in the February elections. On 3 February 1989, Stroessner was overthrown in a military coup headed by General Andrés Rodríguez. As president, Rodríguez instituted political, legal, and economic reforms and initiated a ""rapprochement"" with the international community. Reflecting the deep hunger of the rural poor for land, hundreds immediately occupied thousands of acres of unused territories"
"Erwin Rösener Erwin Friedrich Karl Rösener (2 February 1902 – 4 September 1946) was a German ""Schutzstaffel"" (SS) commander during the Nazi era. During World War II, he was responsible for mass executions of civilians in Slovenia. Rösener was put on trial for war crimes and sentenced to death on 30 August 1946, then executed by hanging on 4 September 1946. He was posthumously on the indictment at the Nuremberg Trials for war crimes. Rösener was born on 2 February 1902 in Schwerte, a town in the Province of Westphalia. He joined the Nazi Party and the ""Sturmabteilung"" (SA) or"
"several countries of Che Guevara's foco theory, the US waged a war in South America against the ""Communists subversives,"" leading to support in Chile of the right-wing, which would culminate with the coup of 1973 in Chile. In a few years, all of South America was covered by similar military dictatorships, called ""juntas"". In Paraguay, Alfredo Stroessner was in power since 1954; in Brazil, left-wing President João Goulart was overthrown by a military coup in 1964; in Bolivia, General Hugo Banzer overthrew leftist General Juan José Torres in 1971; in Uruguay, considered the ""Switzerland"" of South America, Juan María Bordaberry"
"1947), Paraguay remained for all intents and purposes a one-party state. Elections were so heavily rigged in favor of the Colorados that the opposition had no realistic chance of winning, and opposition figures were subjected to varying degrees of harassment. Furthermore, Stroessner's Paraguay became a haven for Nazi war criminals, including Josef Mengele, and non-communist peaceful opposition was crushed. Given Stroessner's affinity for Nazism and harboring of Nazi war criminals, foreign press often referred to his government as the ""poor man's Nazi regime"". Stroessner's rule brought more stability than most of the country's living residents had previously known. From 1927"
"but had come to favor a more humane way of governing. Matters came to a head in January 1989, when Stroessner relieved several generals of their commands and replaced them with men thought to be unquestionably loyal to him. Later that month, Stroessner closed all of the country's currency exchanges. This appeared to be a direct strike at Rodríguez, who ran one of the largest exchange houses in the nation. On February 2, Stroessner summoned his former ally and gave him an ultimatum—either accept appointment in the less important position of defense minister or retire. Rodríguez gave his answer a"
"Austria after the war but was arrested by the British and returned to Yugoslavia. He was put on trial alongside Leon Rupnik and others, and was sentenced to death on 30 August 1946. He was executed by hanging on 4 September 1946, and was buried the same day in an unmarked grave at Ljubljana's Žale cemetery. Erwin Rösener Erwin Friedrich Karl Rösener (2 February 1902 – 4 September 1946) was a German ""Schutzstaffel"" (SS) commander during the Nazi era. During World War II, he was responsible for mass executions of civilians in Slovenia. Rösener was put on trial for war"
"Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Alfredo Stroessner. When a revolt at the Asunción Navy Yard put a strategic working-class neighborhood in rebel hands, Stroessner's regiment quickly reduced this area to rubble. When rebel gunboats threatened to dash upriver from Argentina to bombard the capital into submission, Stroessner's forces battled furiously and destroyed them. By the end of the rebellion in August 1948 the Colorado Party, which had been out of power since 1904, had almost total control in Paraguay. The fighting had simplified politics by eliminating all other parties and by reducing the size of the army. As 90% of the officer"