Back to Nations

Paraguay

Bookmark and Share
News
more less
Overview

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America, bordered by Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. It was originally settled by semi-nomadic Guaraní-speaking tribes, and Spanish explorers discovered Paraguay’s capital city of Asunción in 1537, ruling the country until the early 1800s. Various wars with neighboring countries destabilized the economy during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1954, General Alfred Stroessner gained power and ruled for over 35 years, which served to isolate Paraguay from the world community. Since Stroessner’s overthrow in 1989, Paraguay has struggled to incorporate democratic principles into its political system. New president Fernando Lugo has pledged to work on the country’s considerable corruption and impunity problems and create economic opportunities for all.

 
more less
Basic Information

Lay of the Land: A landlocked country of low elevation in central South America. There are rolling plains and dense forests in central Paraguay, while the northwest is a scrubby, barren wilderness known as the Chaco, which Paraguay won from Bolivia in the 1930s.

 
Population: 6.3million
 
Religions: Roman Catholic 89.6%, Evangelical Christian 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, Ethnoreligious 2.0%, Baha’i 0.2%, Buddhist 0.2%, non-religious 1.8%.
 
Ethnic Groups: Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%.
 
Languages: Parguayan Guaraní (official) 75.0%, Spanish (official) 3.0%, German 2.7%, Nivaclé 0.3%, Lengua 0.1%. Though only 3% listed Spanish as their first language, about 70% of the population can speak it. There are 20 official languages in Paraguay.
more less
History

Paraguay was originally settled by semi-nomadic Guaraní-speaking tribes, which were known for their warrior traditions. As part of Pre-Colombian civilization, these tribes practiced polytheistic religions that were later incorporated into the Christian beliefs of their conquerors. 

 
Juan de Salazar, a Spanish explorer, founded Asunción on the Feast Day of the Assumption, August 15, 1537. Eventually, this city became the center of the Spanish colony and remained so until Paraguay overthrew the local authorities in May 1811 and declared independence.
 
From 1811 until 1989, three leaders helped to shape Paraguay’s history. The first, José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, waged war against Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, which became known as the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870). During this time, Paraguay lost over half of its population, and Brazilian troops continued to occupy the country until 1874. Paraguay was governed by a series of presidents from the Colorado Party from 1880 until 1904. That year, the Liberal party gained control of the government, and they ruled until 1940.
 
The Chaco war, which Paraguay fought with Bolivia, came to define the country’s politics during the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to this, Paraguay experienced a civil war, which destabilized the country further, and the effects of various repressive governments and policies.
 
In May 1954, General Alfred Stroessner assumed power over Paraguay. He was subsequently re-elected as president seven times, continuing to rule under the “state-of-siege” provision of the constitution. His government enjoyed the full support of the military, as well as the Colorado Party. During Stroessner’s reign, personal freedoms were restricted severely, and anyone opposing the regime’s policies was harassed and persecuted as a threat to national security.
 
Over time, Paraguay became increasingly isolated from the world community. Supporting this isolationism was a new constitution, adopted in 1967, which gave Stroessner complete control over the country’s policies for the next two decades. In February 1989, Stroessner was overthrown in a military coup headed by General Andres Rodriguez. 
 
Rodriguez also had the support of the Colorado Party and was elected as Paraguay’s president in May 1989. In 1991, however, opposition candidates won several positions in municipal elections. Rodriguez, meanwhile, consolidated his power, allowing him to enact numerous political, legal and economic reforms. Paraguay began to rejoin the world community at this time.
 
In June 1992, a new constitution established democracy in Paraguay. The new constitution guaranteed certain personal rights and sought to establish community structures benefiting all citizens. In May 1993, Juan Carlos Wasmosy was elected as Paraguay’s first civilian president in almost 40 years. The United States and other countries in the region supported the new president, and helped Paraguay’s citizens to reject an April 1996 challenge to the new government, by then-Army Chief General Lino Oviedo, to oust Wasmosy.
 
Oviedo became the Colorado Party candidate for president in the 1998 election, but when his challenge to Wasmosy’s presidency was overturned, he was not allowed to run, and instead remained in jail. His running mate, Raúl Cubas Grau, became the Colorado Party’s candidate and was elected in May.
 
Cubas resigned in March 1999 after Vice-President Luis Maria Argana was assassinated and eight student anti-government demonstrators were killed. These killings were assumed to have been carried out by supporters of Oviedo, and this forced Cubas from office. Luis González Macchi, president of the Senate, assumed the presidency and served out Cubas’ term. He tried to form a coalition government, but was plagued by accusations of corruption. González himself was found not guilty in a Senate impeachment trial on corruption charges in February 2003.
 
In April 2003, Colorado candidate Nicanor Duarte Frutos was elected president. Though he tried to reduce corruption, his record remains mixed on this front. Working with an opposition-led Congress, he removed six Supreme Court justices suspected of corruption from office and enacted major tax reforms. Economically, he was able to decrease inflation while clearing up Paraguay’s debts with foreign lenders. Unemployment remained high, and the standard of living in most households has not improved.
 
In June 2004, Oviedo returned to Paraguay from exile in Brazil and was imprisoned for his 1996 coup-plotting conviction. In November 2007, Oviedo’s criminal charges were overturned by the Supreme Court, and he was allowed to participate in the April 2008 presidential elections.
 
On April 20, 2008, former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo was elected president. He assumed power on August 15, 2008.
 
The Paraguayan People’s Army (PPA) emerged in the woods and hills of northern Paraguay in 2010 and is known as either a guerilla army or criminal gang, depending on one’s point of view . The PPA has been accused of  responsibility for several kidnappings and murders. To counter such activity, Operation Py’aguapy was initiated, but has met with little success.
 
A Country Study: Paraguay (Library of Congress)
History of Paraguay (Wikipedia)
 
more less
History of U.S. Relations with Paraguay

Between World War II and the late 1970s, foreign relations between Paraguay and the United States were largely based on security interests, trade and investment, and development assistance. Alfredo Stroessner, hoping to maimtain the support of the US government, consistently voted in line with the US on security issues.

 
In the late 1970s, the relationship began to falter as a result of human rights abuses and the absence of political reform. This situation began when Jimmy Carter became president of the United States in 1977 and Robert White took over the US ambassador to Paraguay. Relations continued to worsen under Ambassador Arthur Davis (1982-1985), who cancelled performances by a United States Army band and a parachute team at the May 1984 Independence Day celebration in protest over the government’s closure of ABC Color, a leading newspaper.
 
The next US ambassador, Clyde Taylor (1985-1988), was often criticized by Paraguayan officials from the Colorado Party because of his frequent meetings with members of the opposition, and his support for protests against the continued shutdown of ABC Color, harassment of Radio Ñandutí, and deportation of opposition leader Domingo Laíno. On February 9, 1987, Taylor was tear-gassed while attending a reception in his honor sponsored by Women for Democracy, an anti-Stroessner group.
 
The United States strongly supported a more transparent political system with freedom of the press and expression and the participation of all democratic parties. In June 1987, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Elliott Abrams took note of an improving political climate which could benefit bilateral relations. However, Abrams also was criticized by members of the Colorado Party.
 
Relations continued to decline as some members of Stroessner’s government were involved in narcotics trafficking. A 1986 congressional report stated there was evidence of military collaboration and even active participation in the operation of cocaine laboratories which the US alleged was supported by the government or government officials. In its 1988 annual narcotics report, the US State Department concluded that Paraguay was “a significant money-laundering location for narcotics traffickers due to lax government controls.” In October 1988, Cox Newspapers charged Gustavo Stroessner of collecting payoffs from all narcotics traffickers conducting business in Paraguay.
 
In accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the Reagan administration ignored this evidence, citing three motivating factors. First, the administration claimed that it needed additional time to certify the sincerity of Stroessner’s willingness to cooperate in controlling drugs. In 1987 the United States provided Paraguay with a $200,000 grant to train and equip an antinarcotics unit. The following year, the US Drug Enforcement Administration reopened a station in Asunción after a seven-year absence. Second, fearing that decertification could jeopardize the Peace Corps’ substantial presence in Paraguay, the administration allotted $2 million in 1987 to prevent a decreased presence. Finally, the administration contended that certification enhanced the ability of the United States to encourage democratic reform in Paraguay.
 
more less
Current U.S. Relations with Paraguay

The US and Paraguay have partnered on several initiatives to reduce the flow of narcotics, combat money laundering and human trafficking, counter terrorism, and bolster intellectual property rights by reducing piracy. The US has also been involved with helping Paraguay manage its tropical forest and river resources and to engage in sustainable development. 

 
Paraguay has also taken steps to combat financing for terrorism, especially along its shared borders with Brazil and Argentina. The country participates in several anti-terrorism programs, including the Three Plus One Security Dialogue, with the United States. The State Department, DEA, Justice Department and the Department of Treasury provide technical assistance, equipment, and training to strengthen counter narcotics enforcement, combat trafficking in persons, promote respect for intellectual property rights, and to assist in the development and implementation of money laundering legislation and counter terrorism legislation.
 
The Department of Defense provides technical assistance and training to help modernize and professionalize the military. In doing so, respect for human rights and obedience to democratically elected civilian authorities is highly promoted. DOD also provides assistance to impoverished communities through its Humanitarian Assistance Program.
 
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) supports a variety of programs to strengthen Paraguay’s democratic institutions in the areas of civil society, local government and decentralization, national reform of the state, rule-of-law, and anti-corruption. The total amount of the program was approximately $10 million in fiscal year 2006.
 
The Peace Corps, which has operated for 40 years in the country, has about 160 volunteers working throughout Paraguay on projects ranging from agriculture and natural resources to education, rural health, and urban youth development.
 
The Office of Public Diplomacy also is active in Paraguay, funding Fulbright and other scholarships to the US.
 
In 2003, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve legal protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in Paraguay. The MOU was extended through 2011.
 
In the 2000 census, 8,769 people identified themselves as being of Paraguayan ancestry. About 20% of these are foreign born, while the rest are descendants of immigrants. They are concentrated within the large Latin American communities in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. 
 
In 2006, 13,262 Americans visited Paraguay. The number of Americans traveling to Paraguay has been increasing slowly and gradually since 2002, when 9,012 Americans went to the landlocked nation.
 
In 2006, 9,218 Paraguayans visited the US. The number of tourists has been declining slowly and inconsistently since 2002, when 12,069 Paraguayans came to America.
 
In 2008, there were approximately 19,254 Paraguayan Americans.
 
Paraguayans primarily reside in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta. Many Paraguayan-Americans work in the service industry, hotel housekeeping, and agricultural employment.
 
COHA Backgrounder on US-Paraguay Relations: Why Paraguay Matters (by Jenna Schaeffer and Alex Sánchez, Council on Hemispheric Affairs)
Paraguay Hardens US Military Stance (by Pedro Servin, Washington Post)
Paraguay: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations (by June S. Beittel, Congressional Research Service) (pdf)
The United States (Country Studies)
 
more less
Where Does the Money Flow

US exports to Paraguay totaled $1.8 billion in 2010, while US imports from Paraguay totaled $62.2 million.

 
Top exports from the US to Paraguay in 2010 included computers ($265.5 million), toys/games/sporting goods ($248.2 million), computer accessories ($219.5 million), musical instruments ($204.8 million), and telecommunications equipment ($172.5 million).
 
Top imports from Paraguay to the US included cane and beet sugar ($22.6 million), tobacco/waxes/nonfood oils ($8.8 million), other finished goods (shingles, molding, wallboard etc) ($9.5 million), and plywood and veneers ($8 million).
 
According to the Department of State, “The US will help Paraguay stem corruption and impunity, create jobs, increase social investment to reduce poverty, and lessen the impact of the operations of international criminal organizations in Paraguay.”

 
For FY 2012, Congress has requested $5.4 million for governing justly and democratically, $1.8 million for economic growth, $1.6 million for administrative purposes, and $1.4 million for peace and security.
 
To help the Paraguayan government “govern justly and democratically,” the US aims to strengthen judicial transparency by improving the management and administration of the Supreme Court. Through the Development Assistance program, the US hopes to strengthen internal investigative units and increase the capacity for prosecutors with respect to anticorruption.
 
To foster economic growth, the US hopes to help small agricultural producers expand sustainable production. Aid will also focus on the development of trade-based diversification and private sector investment.
 
With regards to peace and security, the US will focus on reducing the number of criminals and criminal organizations by supporting legal reforms and providing training and equipment to improve Paraguay’s ability to investigate, capture, and prosecute criminals. The US will also strengthen Paraguay’s military so that it will increase its capacity to participate in peacekeeping operations and protect the borders from drug trafficking.
 
Through Foreign Military Financing, the US will provide spare helicopter parts and tactical vehicles and equipment to aid in counterdrug and counterterrorism operations.
 
The Millennium Challenge Corporation program hopes to reduce poverty in Paraguay. The $30.3 million program targets anticorruption, healthcare, and the judicial sector. Through these efforts, the program also hopes that the government gains credibility with its citizens.
 
 
more less
Controversies

Cargill’s New Port Raises Controversy in Paraguay

In October 2007, news of a new port complex being built by US company Cargill generated controversy among Paraguay’s residents, environmentalists and local authorities. Cargill claimed that the port complex would bring new jobs to the area, while environmentalists said that it would endanger the cultivation of soybeans, which are crucial to Paraguay’s economy. The port was due to become operational in April 2008, but its proximity to local drinking water sources made it an object of concern. Cargill was adopting two methods of pollution control for the port complex: a floating pontoon to control drifting barges, and an anti-spill barrier to protect against solids and liquids that might leach into the water supply. The company also offered numerous community benefits. Local groups planned a boycott, however.
Paraguay: Environmentalists Up in Arms Ove r Mega-Port (by David Vargas, Inter Press Service)
 
US Holds Secret Military Exercises in Paraguay
In August 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited Paraguay, sparking rumors about the United States’ intention of building a military base in the country. According to an article in the Bolivian newspaper El Deber, a US base is being developed in Mariscal Estigarribia, 200 kilometers from the border with Bolivia, and reportedly will permit the landing of large aircraft and the housing up to 16,000 troops. A contingent of 500 US troops arrived in Paraguay in July 2005 with planes, weapons, equipment, and ammunition. In September, the controversy was renewed when the US began to hold secretive military exercises. Both Paraguay and the United States maintained that their shared efforts were humanitarian in nature, and that there were no plans to build a new base.
US   Military in Paraguay Prepares To “Spread Democracy” (Benjamin Dangl, Information Clearing House)
US military presence in Paraguay irks neighbors (Kelly Hearn, Christian Science Monitor)
 
more less
Human Rights

According to the State Department, “There were reports of killings by government officials and police that were not always investigated or prosecuted. Government agents reportedly abused some prisoners with impunity. Prisons were routinely overcrowded and did not meet international standards. Political interference, corruption, and inefficiency in the judiciary were common, as was lengthy pretrial detention. Government corruption remained a serious problem. Violence against women continued, as did discrimination against women, persons with disabilities; indigenous persons; and lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Trafficking in persons persisted. Exploitation of child labor and violations of worker rights also remained serious problems.”

 
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Centers generally fell below international standards. Violence, mistreatment, overcrowding, inadequate and poorly trained staff, deteriorating infrastructure, unsanitary living conditions, poor food safety standards, and inadequate medical and psychological care marred several prisons.
 
Paraguay’s 15 penitentiaries held 6,200 inmates, 860 prisoners over capacity. One in particular, Ciudad del Este, held more than twice its capacity.
 
Inmates often carried weapons to use against other inmates. The Ministry of Justice and Labor recorded 18 deaths and 18 injuries of prisoners in custody in 2010.
 
Official Corruption and Government Transparency
Although the law penalizes corruption, the government ineffectively implemented the law.
 
The Public Ministry worked to develop teams of prosecutors to combat corruption. In October 2010, there were 11 anticorruption prosecutors.
 
Many officials engaged in corruption through impunity and political immunity.
 
There were no developments regarding, “charges against former defense minister Roberto Gonzalez Segovia, national deputies Magdaleno Silva and Jose Chamorro, and five others for issuing false documents to obtain special low-interest loans.”
 
Women
The law provides up to 10 years in prison for rape (including spousal rape) or forcible sexual assault. Many rapes went unreported for reasons including the reluctance of police to report. In 2008, 1,316 cases of sexual assault were reported.
 
Many victims of domestic violence withdrew complaints due to spousal reconciliation or family pressure. There were 16,974 calls to the 911 system reporting domestic violence in 2009.
 
Women were paid less than men in the work field and had a difficult time finding a job. According to the 2010 World Economic Forum, women in Paraguay earned 47 percent less than their male counterparts.
 
Many statistics such as those for sexual harassment and rape were not available.
 
Children
Child abuse, neglect, and child labor were serious problems. The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate the Exploitation of Children and the Secretariat for Children and Adolescents (SNNA) worked to combat such issues.
 
According to the SNNA, many children were forced into prostitution or domestic servitude and were sexually abused.
 
Indigenous People
Many indigenous people were not given equal civil and political rights and lacked access to education, healthcare, shelter, and sufficient land.
 
A 2008 census reported that 39 percent of the indigenous population above the age of 15 was illiterate and 48 percent were unemployed.
 
The National Institute of the Indigenous (INDI), the Public Ministry, and the Ombudsman’s Office are responsible for the protection of indigenous rights. INDI titled 477,000 acres of land to 18 indigenous communities.
 
Amnesty International’s 2010 Report stated that the Paraguayan government failed to address lands claims of the indigenous population and reduce discrimination against them.
 
AI reported that in November 2009, the Senate Human Rights Commission supported the eviction of about 150 Ava Guaraní families in the Itakyry district. The eviction was cancelled one month later but citizens were subsequently sprayed with toxic pesticides, affecting more than 200 people.
 
more less
Debate
more less
Past Ambassadors

Charles A. Washburn

Appointment: Jun 8, 1861
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 26, 1861
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Minister Resident
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jul 15, 1861.
 
Charles A. Washburn
Appointment: Jan 19, 1863
Presentation of Credentials: May 13, 1863
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 10, 1868
 
Martin T. McMahon
Appointment: Jun 27, 1868
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 12, 1868
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jun 21, 1869
 
John L. Stevens
Appointment: Apr 28, 1870
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 26, 1870
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, May 19, 1873
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
John C. Caldwell
Appointment: Jan 8, 1874
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 15, 1874
Termination of Mission: Recommissioned as Chargé d’Affaires
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
John C. Caldwell
Appointment: Aug 15, 1876
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 6, 1876
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo, Jul 10, 1882
Note: Acknowledged receipt of his commission on Oct 6, 1876; no record found of presentation of credentials. Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Lewis Wallace
Note: Not commissioned; nomination to be Chargé d’Affaires to Paraguay and Uruguay withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
 
Jeremiah M. Rusk
Appointment: May 19, 1881
Note: Declined appointment as Chargé d’Affaires to Paraguay and Uruguay.
 
William Williams
Appointment: Apr 12, 1882
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 26, 1882
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo, Jul 21, 1885
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
John E. Bacon
Appointment: Apr 28, 1885
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 16, 1885
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Minister Resident
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation Jan 13, 1886.
 
John E. Bacon
Appointment: Aug 10, 1888
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 23, 1888
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, 26–Dec 28, 1888
Note: Officially recognized on Oct 23, 1888. Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
George Maney
Appointment: Jun 20, 1889
Presentation of Credentials: May 19, 1890
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
George Maney
Appointment: Sep 23, 1890
Presentation of Credentials: [see note below]
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo about Jun 30, 1894
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo. Letter of credence probably presented when Maney visited Asuncion in Aug 1891, but presentation not reported.
 
Granville Stuart
Appointment: Mar 1, 1894
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 6, 1894
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo, Jan 4, 1898
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
William R. Finch
Appointment: Oct 2, 1897
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 3, 1898
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo May 29, 1905
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 18, 1897.
 
Edward C. O’Brien
Appointment: Mar 8, 1905
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 5, 1905
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, Oct 10, 1909
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Edwin V. Morgan
Appointment: Dec 21, 1909
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1910
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, Jul 8, 1911
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Nicolay A. Grevstad
Appointment: Jun 30, 1911
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 30, 1911
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, Feb 19, 1914
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Daniel F. Mooney
Appointment: Jan 30, 1914
Presentation of Credentials: May 13, 1914
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 13, 1921
 
William J. O’Toole
Appointment: Jan 18, 1922
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 3, 1922
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 21, 1924
 
George L. Kreeck
Appointment: Mar 18, 1925
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 22, 1925
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 5, 1930
 
Post Wheeler
Appointment: Dec 16, 1929
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 12, 1930
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 17, 1933
 
Meredith Nicholson
Appointment: Aug 19, 1933
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 30, 1933
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 3, 1935
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 15, 1934.
 
Hampton Robb
Note: Not commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
 
Findley B. Howard
Appointment: Aug 20, 1935
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 14, 1935
Termination of Mission: Left post Jan 16, 1941
 
Wesley Frost
Appointment: Mar 20, 1941
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 30, 1941
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
 
Wesley Frost
Appointment: Mar 5, 1942
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 15, 1942
Termination of Mission: Left post May 28, 1944
 
Willard L. Beaulac
Appointment: Mar 21, 1944
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 13, 1944
Termination of Mission: Left post May 28, 1947
 
Fletcher Warren
Appointment: Apr 10, 1947
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 8, 1947
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 25, 1950
 
Howard H. Tewksbury
Appointment: Nov 18, 1950
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 9, 1951
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 16, 1952
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 12, 1950.
 
George P. Shaw
Appointment: Apr 10, 1952
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 1, 1952
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 31, 1953
 
Arthur A. Ageton
Appointment: Jul 28, 1954
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 9, 1954
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 10, 1957
 
Walter C. Ploeser
Appointment: Aug 5, 1957
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 6, 1957
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 12, 1959
 
Harry F. Stimpson, Jr.
Appointment: Sep 2, 1959
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 23, 1959
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 12, 1961
 
William P. Snow
Appointment: Jul 14, 1961
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 4, 1961
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 15, 1967
 
Benigno C. Hernandez
Appointment: Jun 9, 1967
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 9, 1967
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 15, 1969
 
J. Raymond Ylitalo
Appointment: Jul 22, 1969
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 14, 1969
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 11, 1972
 
George W. Landau
Appointment: Sep 11, 1972
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 13, 1972
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 14, 1977
 
Robert E. White
Appointment: Oct 27, 1977
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 30, 1977
Termination of Mission: Left post Jan 27, 1980
 
Lyle Franklin Lane
Appointment: Aug 20, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 9, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post May 21, 1982
 
Arthur H. Davis, Jr.
Appointment: Jul 22, 1982
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 6, 1982
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 28, 1985
 
Clyde D. Taylor
Appointment: Oct 28, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 12, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 2, 1988
 
Timothy Lathrop Towell
Appointment: Jul 29, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 26, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 27, 1991
 
Jon David Glassman
Appointment: Mar 25, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 8, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post May 3, 1994
 
Robert Edward Service
Appointment: Oct 5, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 18, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 7, 1997
 
Maura Harty
Appointment: Aug 1, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 22, 1997
Termination of Mission: Left post May 30, 1999
 
David N. Greenlee
Appointment: Jul 16, 2000
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 19, 2000
Termination of Mission: Jan 15, 2003
Note: An earlier nomination of Jun 19, 1999, was not acted upon by the Senate.
 
John F. Keane
Appointment: Nov 26, 2002
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 11, 2003
Termination of Mission: Left post, Oct 27, 2005
 
James Caldwell Cason
Appointment: Nov 8, 2005
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 1, 2006
Termination of Mission: August 2008
more less
Paraguay's Ambassador to the U.S.
ambassador-image Pfannl, Fernando

The landlocked South American nation of Paraguay, whose legislature impeached its president last year in what many countries termed a “legal coup,” has sent a new ambassador to the U.S. to try to get relations back on a more normal footing. Officially appointed on December 26, 2012, Fernando A. Pfannl Caballero presented his credentials to President Barack Obama on January 14, 2013, succeeding Rigoberto Gauto Vielman, who had served since February 2010.

 

Born July 13, 1955, in the capital city of Asunción, Pfannl earned a degree in Sociology and a Certificate in Political and Social Economy at the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense (formerly the University of Paris X – Nanterre).

 

In February 1989, when a military coup overthrew the brutal dictatorship of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner, Pfannl served as a spokesman for the democratic opposition.

 

Pfannl went on to serve as a senator representing the Liberal Party from 1993 to 1998, serving on the Senate committees for Foreign and International Affairs; Economy, Development and Integration; Agrarian Reform; Energy, Natural Resources, Population and Sustainable Development; and on two bicameral or joint committees, on the Budget and on Investigations. He also served as chief of staff of the Municipality of Asunción from 1998 to 2001.

 

After the election in 2008 of left-leaning President Fernando Lugo, whose win overturned the power of the conservative Colorado Party, which had held power—including under Stroessner—for 61 years—Pfannl served as chief of staff for Vice President Federico Franco.

 

In 2012, conservative elements in Paraguay's government engineered what Paraguay's neighbors Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and others, termed a coup, by impeaching Lugo and giving him only two hours to prepare a defense. Franco became president in June, naming Pfannl interim head of the Ministry of Information and Communication, an important post in the days after the coup. Franco later named Pfannl Minister of Planning and Economic and Social Development.

 

Pfannl speaks Spanish, French and English.

 

To Learn More:

Official Biography

Candidato a Embajador ante EE UU anunció su propuesta en el Senado (Nominee for U.S. Ambassador enunciates his views in the Senate) (La Nacion)

Caso Ricardo Canese vs. Paraguay, Cuestionario para el testigo Fernando Pfannl (Canese vs. Paraguay, Questionnaire of witness Fernando Pfannl) (pdf)

more less
Paraguay's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
more less

Comments

Leave a comment

US-flag nation-flag U.S. Embassy web site

U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay

Bassett, Leslie
ambassador-image

 

On July 16, 2014, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent the nomination of Leslie Ann Bassett to be U.S. ambassador to Paraguay to the full Senate for its consideration. Bassett was nominated to the post by President Barack Obama on June 4. If confirmed, it will be the first ambassadorial post for Bassett, a career Foreign Service Officer.

 

Bassett came from a military family. Her grandfather was a general in the U.S. Army; her father graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy; and her two uncles served in the Vietnam War.

 

After graduating from the University of California-Davis in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, Bassett worked as a copy editor for Computer Business News in Boston.

 

After joining the Foreign Service, her early assignments included posts in Tel Aviv, Israel; San Salvador, El Salvador; Durban, South Africa; and Managua, Nicaragua. It was a rough initiation to the diplomatic corps. According to an article (pdf) Bassett wrote for Foreign Service Journal in 2010, she was shot at and took part in an embassy evacuation in El Salvador; her house was ransacked during her time in Nicaragua and she narrowly escaped a mob; and she served in Israel during the second intifada. Back in Washington, Bassett also served as desk officer in the Bureau of African Affairs and an assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

 

In 1994, Bassett was named special assistant to the under secretary of state for political affairs. The following year, she was detailed to the National Security Council. Bassett moved back to the State Department in 1996 as legislative management officer in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs and in 1997 was back as pecial assistant to the under secretary of state for political affairs. During this period, Bassett earned an M.A. in writing in 1998 from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in national security policy studies from the National War College in 1999.

 

Bassett returned to Latin America in 1999 as counselor for political and economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. In 2001 she was posted to Africa as the deputy chief of mission in Gaborone, Botswana.

 

In 2004, Bassett was assigned to the embassy in Mexico City, first as political counselor, then in 2006 as deputy chief of mission. She was named deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines in 2009 and took a similar job in Seoul, South Korea in 2012, where she has served since.

 

Bassett, who has a daughter, speaks Spanish and French.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

The 9th A-100 Class: A Snapshot (by Leslie A. Bassett, Foreign Service Journal) (see pages 38-41) (pdf)

Official Biography

Testimony before Senate Foreign Relations Committee (pdf)

State Department Cables (WikiLeaks)

more

Previous U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay

Thessin, James
ambassador-image

In choosing James H. Thessin as ambassador to Paraguay, President Barack Obama selected a career member of the Senior Executive Service who, previously, had never served overseas in almost 30 years with the State Department. Thessin was nominated on April 7, 2011, however he has not yet been confirmed.

 
Born April 19, 1948, in Milwaukee, Thessin received an AA at Father Judge Mission Seminary, an AB from Catholic University (1971) and a JD from Harvard Law School (1974).
 
 
Thessin joined the State Department in 1982 as attorney-adviser for Political-Military Affairs.. rom 1984-85, he served as Assistant Legal Adviser for Human Rights and Refugee Affairs. In 1986 he began working as assistant legal advisor for managaement. He also joined the Office of Government Ethics, and in 1990 he was named the State Department’s Designated Agency Ethics Official. That same year, he became deputy legal adviser for the State Department, providing legal advice on contracting, legislation, diplomatic immunity, and personnel issues.
 
Thessin and his wife, Marcia, have a son and a daughter.
 
Biography (Bush Administration State Department)
 
 
 

more

Table of Contents
Bookmark and Share
News
more less
Overview

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America, bordered by Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. It was originally settled by semi-nomadic Guaraní-speaking tribes, and Spanish explorers discovered Paraguay’s capital city of Asunción in 1537, ruling the country until the early 1800s. Various wars with neighboring countries destabilized the economy during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1954, General Alfred Stroessner gained power and ruled for over 35 years, which served to isolate Paraguay from the world community. Since Stroessner’s overthrow in 1989, Paraguay has struggled to incorporate democratic principles into its political system. New president Fernando Lugo has pledged to work on the country’s considerable corruption and impunity problems and create economic opportunities for all.

 
more less
Basic Information

Lay of the Land: A landlocked country of low elevation in central South America. There are rolling plains and dense forests in central Paraguay, while the northwest is a scrubby, barren wilderness known as the Chaco, which Paraguay won from Bolivia in the 1930s.

 
Population: 6.3million
 
Religions: Roman Catholic 89.6%, Evangelical Christian 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, Ethnoreligious 2.0%, Baha’i 0.2%, Buddhist 0.2%, non-religious 1.8%.
 
Ethnic Groups: Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%.
 
Languages: Parguayan Guaraní (official) 75.0%, Spanish (official) 3.0%, German 2.7%, Nivaclé 0.3%, Lengua 0.1%. Though only 3% listed Spanish as their first language, about 70% of the population can speak it. There are 20 official languages in Paraguay.
more less
History

Paraguay was originally settled by semi-nomadic Guaraní-speaking tribes, which were known for their warrior traditions. As part of Pre-Colombian civilization, these tribes practiced polytheistic religions that were later incorporated into the Christian beliefs of their conquerors. 

 
Juan de Salazar, a Spanish explorer, founded Asunción on the Feast Day of the Assumption, August 15, 1537. Eventually, this city became the center of the Spanish colony and remained so until Paraguay overthrew the local authorities in May 1811 and declared independence.
 
From 1811 until 1989, three leaders helped to shape Paraguay’s history. The first, José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, waged war against Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, which became known as the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870). During this time, Paraguay lost over half of its population, and Brazilian troops continued to occupy the country until 1874. Paraguay was governed by a series of presidents from the Colorado Party from 1880 until 1904. That year, the Liberal party gained control of the government, and they ruled until 1940.
 
The Chaco war, which Paraguay fought with Bolivia, came to define the country’s politics during the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to this, Paraguay experienced a civil war, which destabilized the country further, and the effects of various repressive governments and policies.
 
In May 1954, General Alfred Stroessner assumed power over Paraguay. He was subsequently re-elected as president seven times, continuing to rule under the “state-of-siege” provision of the constitution. His government enjoyed the full support of the military, as well as the Colorado Party. During Stroessner’s reign, personal freedoms were restricted severely, and anyone opposing the regime’s policies was harassed and persecuted as a threat to national security.
 
Over time, Paraguay became increasingly isolated from the world community. Supporting this isolationism was a new constitution, adopted in 1967, which gave Stroessner complete control over the country’s policies for the next two decades. In February 1989, Stroessner was overthrown in a military coup headed by General Andres Rodriguez. 
 
Rodriguez also had the support of the Colorado Party and was elected as Paraguay’s president in May 1989. In 1991, however, opposition candidates won several positions in municipal elections. Rodriguez, meanwhile, consolidated his power, allowing him to enact numerous political, legal and economic reforms. Paraguay began to rejoin the world community at this time.
 
In June 1992, a new constitution established democracy in Paraguay. The new constitution guaranteed certain personal rights and sought to establish community structures benefiting all citizens. In May 1993, Juan Carlos Wasmosy was elected as Paraguay’s first civilian president in almost 40 years. The United States and other countries in the region supported the new president, and helped Paraguay’s citizens to reject an April 1996 challenge to the new government, by then-Army Chief General Lino Oviedo, to oust Wasmosy.
 
Oviedo became the Colorado Party candidate for president in the 1998 election, but when his challenge to Wasmosy’s presidency was overturned, he was not allowed to run, and instead remained in jail. His running mate, Raúl Cubas Grau, became the Colorado Party’s candidate and was elected in May.
 
Cubas resigned in March 1999 after Vice-President Luis Maria Argana was assassinated and eight student anti-government demonstrators were killed. These killings were assumed to have been carried out by supporters of Oviedo, and this forced Cubas from office. Luis González Macchi, president of the Senate, assumed the presidency and served out Cubas’ term. He tried to form a coalition government, but was plagued by accusations of corruption. González himself was found not guilty in a Senate impeachment trial on corruption charges in February 2003.
 
In April 2003, Colorado candidate Nicanor Duarte Frutos was elected president. Though he tried to reduce corruption, his record remains mixed on this front. Working with an opposition-led Congress, he removed six Supreme Court justices suspected of corruption from office and enacted major tax reforms. Economically, he was able to decrease inflation while clearing up Paraguay’s debts with foreign lenders. Unemployment remained high, and the standard of living in most households has not improved.
 
In June 2004, Oviedo returned to Paraguay from exile in Brazil and was imprisoned for his 1996 coup-plotting conviction. In November 2007, Oviedo’s criminal charges were overturned by the Supreme Court, and he was allowed to participate in the April 2008 presidential elections.
 
On April 20, 2008, former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo was elected president. He assumed power on August 15, 2008.
 
The Paraguayan People’s Army (PPA) emerged in the woods and hills of northern Paraguay in 2010 and is known as either a guerilla army or criminal gang, depending on one’s point of view . The PPA has been accused of  responsibility for several kidnappings and murders. To counter such activity, Operation Py’aguapy was initiated, but has met with little success.
 
A Country Study: Paraguay (Library of Congress)
History of Paraguay (Wikipedia)
 
more less
History of U.S. Relations with Paraguay

Between World War II and the late 1970s, foreign relations between Paraguay and the United States were largely based on security interests, trade and investment, and development assistance. Alfredo Stroessner, hoping to maimtain the support of the US government, consistently voted in line with the US on security issues.

 
In the late 1970s, the relationship began to falter as a result of human rights abuses and the absence of political reform. This situation began when Jimmy Carter became president of the United States in 1977 and Robert White took over the US ambassador to Paraguay. Relations continued to worsen under Ambassador Arthur Davis (1982-1985), who cancelled performances by a United States Army band and a parachute team at the May 1984 Independence Day celebration in protest over the government’s closure of ABC Color, a leading newspaper.
 
The next US ambassador, Clyde Taylor (1985-1988), was often criticized by Paraguayan officials from the Colorado Party because of his frequent meetings with members of the opposition, and his support for protests against the continued shutdown of ABC Color, harassment of Radio Ñandutí, and deportation of opposition leader Domingo Laíno. On February 9, 1987, Taylor was tear-gassed while attending a reception in his honor sponsored by Women for Democracy, an anti-Stroessner group.
 
The United States strongly supported a more transparent political system with freedom of the press and expression and the participation of all democratic parties. In June 1987, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Elliott Abrams took note of an improving political climate which could benefit bilateral relations. However, Abrams also was criticized by members of the Colorado Party.
 
Relations continued to decline as some members of Stroessner’s government were involved in narcotics trafficking. A 1986 congressional report stated there was evidence of military collaboration and even active participation in the operation of cocaine laboratories which the US alleged was supported by the government or government officials. In its 1988 annual narcotics report, the US State Department concluded that Paraguay was “a significant money-laundering location for narcotics traffickers due to lax government controls.” In October 1988, Cox Newspapers charged Gustavo Stroessner of collecting payoffs from all narcotics traffickers conducting business in Paraguay.
 
In accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the Reagan administration ignored this evidence, citing three motivating factors. First, the administration claimed that it needed additional time to certify the sincerity of Stroessner’s willingness to cooperate in controlling drugs. In 1987 the United States provided Paraguay with a $200,000 grant to train and equip an antinarcotics unit. The following year, the US Drug Enforcement Administration reopened a station in Asunción after a seven-year absence. Second, fearing that decertification could jeopardize the Peace Corps’ substantial presence in Paraguay, the administration allotted $2 million in 1987 to prevent a decreased presence. Finally, the administration contended that certification enhanced the ability of the United States to encourage democratic reform in Paraguay.
 
more less
Current U.S. Relations with Paraguay

The US and Paraguay have partnered on several initiatives to reduce the flow of narcotics, combat money laundering and human trafficking, counter terrorism, and bolster intellectual property rights by reducing piracy. The US has also been involved with helping Paraguay manage its tropical forest and river resources and to engage in sustainable development. 

 
Paraguay has also taken steps to combat financing for terrorism, especially along its shared borders with Brazil and Argentina. The country participates in several anti-terrorism programs, including the Three Plus One Security Dialogue, with the United States. The State Department, DEA, Justice Department and the Department of Treasury provide technical assistance, equipment, and training to strengthen counter narcotics enforcement, combat trafficking in persons, promote respect for intellectual property rights, and to assist in the development and implementation of money laundering legislation and counter terrorism legislation.
 
The Department of Defense provides technical assistance and training to help modernize and professionalize the military. In doing so, respect for human rights and obedience to democratically elected civilian authorities is highly promoted. DOD also provides assistance to impoverished communities through its Humanitarian Assistance Program.
 
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) supports a variety of programs to strengthen Paraguay’s democratic institutions in the areas of civil society, local government and decentralization, national reform of the state, rule-of-law, and anti-corruption. The total amount of the program was approximately $10 million in fiscal year 2006.
 
The Peace Corps, which has operated for 40 years in the country, has about 160 volunteers working throughout Paraguay on projects ranging from agriculture and natural resources to education, rural health, and urban youth development.
 
The Office of Public Diplomacy also is active in Paraguay, funding Fulbright and other scholarships to the US.
 
In 2003, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve legal protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in Paraguay. The MOU was extended through 2011.
 
In the 2000 census, 8,769 people identified themselves as being of Paraguayan ancestry. About 20% of these are foreign born, while the rest are descendants of immigrants. They are concentrated within the large Latin American communities in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. 
 
In 2006, 13,262 Americans visited Paraguay. The number of Americans traveling to Paraguay has been increasing slowly and gradually since 2002, when 9,012 Americans went to the landlocked nation.
 
In 2006, 9,218 Paraguayans visited the US. The number of tourists has been declining slowly and inconsistently since 2002, when 12,069 Paraguayans came to America.
 
In 2008, there were approximately 19,254 Paraguayan Americans.
 
Paraguayans primarily reside in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta. Many Paraguayan-Americans work in the service industry, hotel housekeeping, and agricultural employment.
 
COHA Backgrounder on US-Paraguay Relations: Why Paraguay Matters (by Jenna Schaeffer and Alex Sánchez, Council on Hemispheric Affairs)
Paraguay Hardens US Military Stance (by Pedro Servin, Washington Post)
Paraguay: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations (by June S. Beittel, Congressional Research Service) (pdf)
The United States (Country Studies)
 
more less
Where Does the Money Flow

US exports to Paraguay totaled $1.8 billion in 2010, while US imports from Paraguay totaled $62.2 million.

 
Top exports from the US to Paraguay in 2010 included computers ($265.5 million), toys/games/sporting goods ($248.2 million), computer accessories ($219.5 million), musical instruments ($204.8 million), and telecommunications equipment ($172.5 million).
 
Top imports from Paraguay to the US included cane and beet sugar ($22.6 million), tobacco/waxes/nonfood oils ($8.8 million), other finished goods (shingles, molding, wallboard etc) ($9.5 million), and plywood and veneers ($8 million).
 
According to the Department of State, “The US will help Paraguay stem corruption and impunity, create jobs, increase social investment to reduce poverty, and lessen the impact of the operations of international criminal organizations in Paraguay.”

 
For FY 2012, Congress has requested $5.4 million for governing justly and democratically, $1.8 million for economic growth, $1.6 million for administrative purposes, and $1.4 million for peace and security.
 
To help the Paraguayan government “govern justly and democratically,” the US aims to strengthen judicial transparency by improving the management and administration of the Supreme Court. Through the Development Assistance program, the US hopes to strengthen internal investigative units and increase the capacity for prosecutors with respect to anticorruption.
 
To foster economic growth, the US hopes to help small agricultural producers expand sustainable production. Aid will also focus on the development of trade-based diversification and private sector investment.
 
With regards to peace and security, the US will focus on reducing the number of criminals and criminal organizations by supporting legal reforms and providing training and equipment to improve Paraguay’s ability to investigate, capture, and prosecute criminals. The US will also strengthen Paraguay’s military so that it will increase its capacity to participate in peacekeeping operations and protect the borders from drug trafficking.
 
Through Foreign Military Financing, the US will provide spare helicopter parts and tactical vehicles and equipment to aid in counterdrug and counterterrorism operations.
 
The Millennium Challenge Corporation program hopes to reduce poverty in Paraguay. The $30.3 million program targets anticorruption, healthcare, and the judicial sector. Through these efforts, the program also hopes that the government gains credibility with its citizens.
 
 
more less
Controversies

Cargill’s New Port Raises Controversy in Paraguay

In October 2007, news of a new port complex being built by US company Cargill generated controversy among Paraguay’s residents, environmentalists and local authorities. Cargill claimed that the port complex would bring new jobs to the area, while environmentalists said that it would endanger the cultivation of soybeans, which are crucial to Paraguay’s economy. The port was due to become operational in April 2008, but its proximity to local drinking water sources made it an object of concern. Cargill was adopting two methods of pollution control for the port complex: a floating pontoon to control drifting barges, and an anti-spill barrier to protect against solids and liquids that might leach into the water supply. The company also offered numerous community benefits. Local groups planned a boycott, however.
Paraguay: Environmentalists Up in Arms Ove r Mega-Port (by David Vargas, Inter Press Service)
 
US Holds Secret Military Exercises in Paraguay
In August 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited Paraguay, sparking rumors about the United States’ intention of building a military base in the country. According to an article in the Bolivian newspaper El Deber, a US base is being developed in Mariscal Estigarribia, 200 kilometers from the border with Bolivia, and reportedly will permit the landing of large aircraft and the housing up to 16,000 troops. A contingent of 500 US troops arrived in Paraguay in July 2005 with planes, weapons, equipment, and ammunition. In September, the controversy was renewed when the US began to hold secretive military exercises. Both Paraguay and the United States maintained that their shared efforts were humanitarian in nature, and that there were no plans to build a new base.
US   Military in Paraguay Prepares To “Spread Democracy” (Benjamin Dangl, Information Clearing House)
US military presence in Paraguay irks neighbors (Kelly Hearn, Christian Science Monitor)
 
more less
Human Rights

According to the State Department, “There were reports of killings by government officials and police that were not always investigated or prosecuted. Government agents reportedly abused some prisoners with impunity. Prisons were routinely overcrowded and did not meet international standards. Political interference, corruption, and inefficiency in the judiciary were common, as was lengthy pretrial detention. Government corruption remained a serious problem. Violence against women continued, as did discrimination against women, persons with disabilities; indigenous persons; and lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Trafficking in persons persisted. Exploitation of child labor and violations of worker rights also remained serious problems.”

 
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Centers generally fell below international standards. Violence, mistreatment, overcrowding, inadequate and poorly trained staff, deteriorating infrastructure, unsanitary living conditions, poor food safety standards, and inadequate medical and psychological care marred several prisons.
 
Paraguay’s 15 penitentiaries held 6,200 inmates, 860 prisoners over capacity. One in particular, Ciudad del Este, held more than twice its capacity.
 
Inmates often carried weapons to use against other inmates. The Ministry of Justice and Labor recorded 18 deaths and 18 injuries of prisoners in custody in 2010.
 
Official Corruption and Government Transparency
Although the law penalizes corruption, the government ineffectively implemented the law.
 
The Public Ministry worked to develop teams of prosecutors to combat corruption. In October 2010, there were 11 anticorruption prosecutors.
 
Many officials engaged in corruption through impunity and political immunity.
 
There were no developments regarding, “charges against former defense minister Roberto Gonzalez Segovia, national deputies Magdaleno Silva and Jose Chamorro, and five others for issuing false documents to obtain special low-interest loans.”
 
Women
The law provides up to 10 years in prison for rape (including spousal rape) or forcible sexual assault. Many rapes went unreported for reasons including the reluctance of police to report. In 2008, 1,316 cases of sexual assault were reported.
 
Many victims of domestic violence withdrew complaints due to spousal reconciliation or family pressure. There were 16,974 calls to the 911 system reporting domestic violence in 2009.
 
Women were paid less than men in the work field and had a difficult time finding a job. According to the 2010 World Economic Forum, women in Paraguay earned 47 percent less than their male counterparts.
 
Many statistics such as those for sexual harassment and rape were not available.
 
Children
Child abuse, neglect, and child labor were serious problems. The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate the Exploitation of Children and the Secretariat for Children and Adolescents (SNNA) worked to combat such issues.
 
According to the SNNA, many children were forced into prostitution or domestic servitude and were sexually abused.
 
Indigenous People
Many indigenous people were not given equal civil and political rights and lacked access to education, healthcare, shelter, and sufficient land.
 
A 2008 census reported that 39 percent of the indigenous population above the age of 15 was illiterate and 48 percent were unemployed.
 
The National Institute of the Indigenous (INDI), the Public Ministry, and the Ombudsman’s Office are responsible for the protection of indigenous rights. INDI titled 477,000 acres of land to 18 indigenous communities.
 
Amnesty International’s 2010 Report stated that the Paraguayan government failed to address lands claims of the indigenous population and reduce discrimination against them.
 
AI reported that in November 2009, the Senate Human Rights Commission supported the eviction of about 150 Ava Guaraní families in the Itakyry district. The eviction was cancelled one month later but citizens were subsequently sprayed with toxic pesticides, affecting more than 200 people.
 
more less
Debate
more less
Past Ambassadors

Charles A. Washburn

Appointment: Jun 8, 1861
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 26, 1861
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Minister Resident
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jul 15, 1861.
 
Charles A. Washburn
Appointment: Jan 19, 1863
Presentation of Credentials: May 13, 1863
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 10, 1868
 
Martin T. McMahon
Appointment: Jun 27, 1868
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 12, 1868
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jun 21, 1869
 
John L. Stevens
Appointment: Apr 28, 1870
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 26, 1870
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, May 19, 1873
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
John C. Caldwell
Appointment: Jan 8, 1874
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 15, 1874
Termination of Mission: Recommissioned as Chargé d’Affaires
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
John C. Caldwell
Appointment: Aug 15, 1876
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 6, 1876
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo, Jul 10, 1882
Note: Acknowledged receipt of his commission on Oct 6, 1876; no record found of presentation of credentials. Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Lewis Wallace
Note: Not commissioned; nomination to be Chargé d’Affaires to Paraguay and Uruguay withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
 
Jeremiah M. Rusk
Appointment: May 19, 1881
Note: Declined appointment as Chargé d’Affaires to Paraguay and Uruguay.
 
William Williams
Appointment: Apr 12, 1882
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 26, 1882
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo, Jul 21, 1885
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
John E. Bacon
Appointment: Apr 28, 1885
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 16, 1885
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Minister Resident
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation Jan 13, 1886.
 
John E. Bacon
Appointment: Aug 10, 1888
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 23, 1888
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, 26–Dec 28, 1888
Note: Officially recognized on Oct 23, 1888. Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
George Maney
Appointment: Jun 20, 1889
Presentation of Credentials: May 19, 1890
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
George Maney
Appointment: Sep 23, 1890
Presentation of Credentials: [see note below]
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo about Jun 30, 1894
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo. Letter of credence probably presented when Maney visited Asuncion in Aug 1891, but presentation not reported.
 
Granville Stuart
Appointment: Mar 1, 1894
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 6, 1894
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo, Jan 4, 1898
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
William R. Finch
Appointment: Oct 2, 1897
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 3, 1898
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge at Montevideo May 29, 1905
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 18, 1897.
 
Edward C. O’Brien
Appointment: Mar 8, 1905
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 5, 1905
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, Oct 10, 1909
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Edwin V. Morgan
Appointment: Dec 21, 1909
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1910
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, Jul 8, 1911
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Nicolay A. Grevstad
Appointment: Jun 30, 1911
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 30, 1911
Termination of Mission: Left Montevideo, Feb 19, 1914
Note: Also accredited to Uruguay; resident at Montevideo.
 
Daniel F. Mooney
Appointment: Jan 30, 1914
Presentation of Credentials: May 13, 1914
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 13, 1921
 
William J. O’Toole
Appointment: Jan 18, 1922
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 3, 1922
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 21, 1924
 
George L. Kreeck
Appointment: Mar 18, 1925
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 22, 1925
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 5, 1930
 
Post Wheeler
Appointment: Dec 16, 1929
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 12, 1930
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 17, 1933
 
Meredith Nicholson
Appointment: Aug 19, 1933
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 30, 1933
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 3, 1935
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 15, 1934.
 
Hampton Robb
Note: Not commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
 
Findley B. Howard
Appointment: Aug 20, 1935
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 14, 1935
Termination of Mission: Left post Jan 16, 1941
 
Wesley Frost
Appointment: Mar 20, 1941
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 30, 1941
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
 
Wesley Frost
Appointment: Mar 5, 1942
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 15, 1942
Termination of Mission: Left post May 28, 1944
 
Willard L. Beaulac
Appointment: Mar 21, 1944
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 13, 1944
Termination of Mission: Left post May 28, 1947
 
Fletcher Warren
Appointment: Apr 10, 1947
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 8, 1947
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 25, 1950
 
Howard H. Tewksbury
Appointment: Nov 18, 1950
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 9, 1951
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 16, 1952
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 12, 1950.
 
George P. Shaw
Appointment: Apr 10, 1952
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 1, 1952
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 31, 1953
 
Arthur A. Ageton
Appointment: Jul 28, 1954
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 9, 1954
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 10, 1957
 
Walter C. Ploeser
Appointment: Aug 5, 1957
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 6, 1957
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 12, 1959
 
Harry F. Stimpson, Jr.
Appointment: Sep 2, 1959
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 23, 1959
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 12, 1961
 
William P. Snow
Appointment: Jul 14, 1961
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 4, 1961
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 15, 1967
 
Benigno C. Hernandez
Appointment: Jun 9, 1967
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 9, 1967
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 15, 1969
 
J. Raymond Ylitalo
Appointment: Jul 22, 1969
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 14, 1969
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 11, 1972
 
George W. Landau
Appointment: Sep 11, 1972
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 13, 1972
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 14, 1977
 
Robert E. White
Appointment: Oct 27, 1977
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 30, 1977
Termination of Mission: Left post Jan 27, 1980
 
Lyle Franklin Lane
Appointment: Aug 20, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 9, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post May 21, 1982
 
Arthur H. Davis, Jr.
Appointment: Jul 22, 1982
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 6, 1982
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 28, 1985
 
Clyde D. Taylor
Appointment: Oct 28, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 12, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 2, 1988
 
Timothy Lathrop Towell
Appointment: Jul 29, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 26, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 27, 1991
 
Jon David Glassman
Appointment: Mar 25, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 8, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post May 3, 1994
 
Robert Edward Service
Appointment: Oct 5, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 18, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 7, 1997
 
Maura Harty
Appointment: Aug 1, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 22, 1997
Termination of Mission: Left post May 30, 1999
 
David N. Greenlee
Appointment: Jul 16, 2000
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 19, 2000
Termination of Mission: Jan 15, 2003
Note: An earlier nomination of Jun 19, 1999, was not acted upon by the Senate.
 
John F. Keane
Appointment: Nov 26, 2002
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 11, 2003
Termination of Mission: Left post, Oct 27, 2005
 
James Caldwell Cason
Appointment: Nov 8, 2005
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 1, 2006
Termination of Mission: August 2008
more less
Paraguay's Ambassador to the U.S.
ambassador-image Pfannl, Fernando

The landlocked South American nation of Paraguay, whose legislature impeached its president last year in what many countries termed a “legal coup,” has sent a new ambassador to the U.S. to try to get relations back on a more normal footing. Officially appointed on December 26, 2012, Fernando A. Pfannl Caballero presented his credentials to President Barack Obama on January 14, 2013, succeeding Rigoberto Gauto Vielman, who had served since February 2010.

 

Born July 13, 1955, in the capital city of Asunción, Pfannl earned a degree in Sociology and a Certificate in Political and Social Economy at the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense (formerly the University of Paris X – Nanterre).

 

In February 1989, when a military coup overthrew the brutal dictatorship of Gen. Alfredo Stroessner, Pfannl served as a spokesman for the democratic opposition.

 

Pfannl went on to serve as a senator representing the Liberal Party from 1993 to 1998, serving on the Senate committees for Foreign and International Affairs; Economy, Development and Integration; Agrarian Reform; Energy, Natural Resources, Population and Sustainable Development; and on two bicameral or joint committees, on the Budget and on Investigations. He also served as chief of staff of the Municipality of Asunción from 1998 to 2001.

 

After the election in 2008 of left-leaning President Fernando Lugo, whose win overturned the power of the conservative Colorado Party, which had held power—including under Stroessner—for 61 years—Pfannl served as chief of staff for Vice President Federico Franco.

 

In 2012, conservative elements in Paraguay's government engineered what Paraguay's neighbors Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and others, termed a coup, by impeaching Lugo and giving him only two hours to prepare a defense. Franco became president in June, naming Pfannl interim head of the Ministry of Information and Communication, an important post in the days after the coup. Franco later named Pfannl Minister of Planning and Economic and Social Development.

 

Pfannl speaks Spanish, French and English.

 

To Learn More:

Official Biography

Candidato a Embajador ante EE UU anunció su propuesta en el Senado (Nominee for U.S. Ambassador enunciates his views in the Senate) (La Nacion)

Caso Ricardo Canese vs. Paraguay, Cuestionario para el testigo Fernando Pfannl (Canese vs. Paraguay, Questionnaire of witness Fernando Pfannl) (pdf)

more less
Paraguay's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
more less

Comments

Leave a comment

US-flag nation-flag U.S. Embassy web site

U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay

Bassett, Leslie
ambassador-image

 

On July 16, 2014, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent the nomination of Leslie Ann Bassett to be U.S. ambassador to Paraguay to the full Senate for its consideration. Bassett was nominated to the post by President Barack Obama on June 4. If confirmed, it will be the first ambassadorial post for Bassett, a career Foreign Service Officer.

 

Bassett came from a military family. Her grandfather was a general in the U.S. Army; her father graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy; and her two uncles served in the Vietnam War.

 

After graduating from the University of California-Davis in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, Bassett worked as a copy editor for Computer Business News in Boston.

 

After joining the Foreign Service, her early assignments included posts in Tel Aviv, Israel; San Salvador, El Salvador; Durban, South Africa; and Managua, Nicaragua. It was a rough initiation to the diplomatic corps. According to an article (pdf) Bassett wrote for Foreign Service Journal in 2010, she was shot at and took part in an embassy evacuation in El Salvador; her house was ransacked during her time in Nicaragua and she narrowly escaped a mob; and she served in Israel during the second intifada. Back in Washington, Bassett also served as desk officer in the Bureau of African Affairs and an assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

 

In 1994, Bassett was named special assistant to the under secretary of state for political affairs. The following year, she was detailed to the National Security Council. Bassett moved back to the State Department in 1996 as legislative management officer in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs and in 1997 was back as pecial assistant to the under secretary of state for political affairs. During this period, Bassett earned an M.A. in writing in 1998 from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in national security policy studies from the National War College in 1999.

 

Bassett returned to Latin America in 1999 as counselor for political and economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. In 2001 she was posted to Africa as the deputy chief of mission in Gaborone, Botswana.

 

In 2004, Bassett was assigned to the embassy in Mexico City, first as political counselor, then in 2006 as deputy chief of mission. She was named deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines in 2009 and took a similar job in Seoul, South Korea in 2012, where she has served since.

 

Bassett, who has a daughter, speaks Spanish and French.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

The 9th A-100 Class: A Snapshot (by Leslie A. Bassett, Foreign Service Journal) (see pages 38-41) (pdf)

Official Biography

Testimony before Senate Foreign Relations Committee (pdf)

State Department Cables (WikiLeaks)

more

Previous U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay

Thessin, James
ambassador-image

In choosing James H. Thessin as ambassador to Paraguay, President Barack Obama selected a career member of the Senior Executive Service who, previously, had never served overseas in almost 30 years with the State Department. Thessin was nominated on April 7, 2011, however he has not yet been confirmed.

 
Born April 19, 1948, in Milwaukee, Thessin received an AA at Father Judge Mission Seminary, an AB from Catholic University (1971) and a JD from Harvard Law School (1974).
 
 
Thessin joined the State Department in 1982 as attorney-adviser for Political-Military Affairs.. rom 1984-85, he served as Assistant Legal Adviser for Human Rights and Refugee Affairs. In 1986 he began working as assistant legal advisor for managaement. He also joined the Office of Government Ethics, and in 1990 he was named the State Department’s Designated Agency Ethics Official. That same year, he became deputy legal adviser for the State Department, providing legal advice on contracting, legislation, diplomatic immunity, and personnel issues.
 
Thessin and his wife, Marcia, have a son and a daughter.
 
Biography (Bush Administration State Department)
 
 
 

more

Footer Menu
Copyright © 2016 AllGov.com. All rights reserved
Created by David Wallechinsky
Developed by IT Labs