TNAG-0652-FCO40-801-Planning-Staff-papers-on-human-rights-and-foreign-policy-cou-1977 — Page 168

CONFIDENTIAL

PARAGUAY

Report by HM Embassy, Asuncion

General Observations (by Latin America Department)

Repression in Paraguay is severe, but disguised by well established practices. The Embassy's markings tend towards leniency. Our own suggested ratings are given in brackets.

Right No.

Rating suggested by Post

7

(8)

(i)

(ii)

There are at present an estimated 300 persons detained without trial (0.01% of the population). Most of these were arrested in April/ May 1976 (when a wave of arrests led to an estimated peak of about 1,000 under detention). Before April 1976 there was estimated to be a hard core of about 60 long- term "political prisoners", re- garded by the authorities as mem- bers of the Communist Party, communist sympathisers or inter- national communist agents. (The Communist Party is illegal in Paraguay. Since 1953 a "state of emergency" has been applied to those Paraguayan political depart- ments which border on Argentina or Brazil. As required by the Consti- tution this has been renewed at 3 monthly intervals. The Paraguayan justification for the state of emergency is "the constant threat of communist subversion". There is evidence that there have been attempts at subversion but the Paraguayans have for long had the situation under firm control. Under the state of emer-

gency all individual rights are suspended. The Paraguayan author- ities therefore claim that impri- sonment without trial is not un-

constitutional.

Torture of political prisoners does 7 take place, but it is not applied systematically and when applied is often the action of the police officials directly responsible for

CONFIDENTIAL

/the

(8)