Osvaldo Villalba, brother of Carmen and Laura Villalba, who was one of the founders of the self-styled Army of the Paraguayan People (EPP), and Luciano Arguello, another of the main leaders of the criminal group, were killed in a confrontation with the Operations Command of Internal Defense (CODI) of the Joint Task Force (FTC) in the area of Cerro Guazú in the Department of Amambay.
At a press conference from the CODI base in Concepción, the President of the Republic, Mario Abdo Benítez, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces, and in the company of State authorities, confirmed the identity of the deceased in the operation.
“I want to reiterate my request to this terrorist group that this is not a way to fight for ideals. That they lay down their arms and we give them the guarantees to undergo a due process,” said Abdo Benítez.
OPERATIONAL
The confrontation took place on Sunday around 11:30 am. According to reports from the security forces, the terrorist group EPP killed two indigenous people and wounded a third. The Special Forces reacted and killed two members of the EPP in the operation.
The wounded indigenous man was taken to the Santa Rosa hospital in the department of San Pedro in an FTC aircraft. According to the latest data, the native is stable but with a reserved prognosis.
A third member of the criminal group died during the operation but his identity could not yet be confirmed. Prosecutors Lorenzo Lezcano and Pablo Zárate of the Specialized Anti-kidnapping Unit intervene in the procedure.
After the medical inspection in Concepción, the bodies will be transferred to the Asunción Judicial Morgue for the corresponding autopsy.
President Mario Abdo Benítez, who was in the department of Alto Paraná, went to the CODI base in Arroyito, Concepción, to learn about the details of the operation.
