Paraguay's disappeared: A dictator's shadow is a roadblock for justice, but a few keep up the fight
Feb 03, 2025
Asuncion [Paraguay], February 3: Despite being ousted in 1989 after a 35-year reign of terror, during which 20,000 people were tortured, executed or disappeared.
Some Paraguayans feel as if Gen. Alfredo Stroessner never truly left.
"This is probably the only country in which the political party that supported a dictator, once he is gone, remains in power," said Alfredo Boccia, a researcher of Paraguay's history. "That's why scrutiny took so long, most disappeared were never found and there were barely trials."
Disappearances are a known phenomena in Latin America. The numbers in Argentina and Chile might have gained the most visibility, but thousands more have vanished elsewhere under dictatorships and armed conflicts.
Paraguayans with missing loved ones face a unique struggle, though. While Stroessner has been long gone, his legacy remains a roadblock to their searching.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
