The threat was through pamphlets with the distinctive of the Armed Peasant Group – EP. Although, it is not ruled out that it is another group that has made these demands.
These are the Ramírez family and councilor Antolina Vera, who are required to pay G. 300 million and G. 200 million, respectively. In case they do not comply with the demands, the criminals threaten to kidnap a family member.
According to what is read in the pamphlet, the money must be left on December 23 at 12:00 noon, in a garbage dump in the “Ytaky” stream. The victims have already gone to the Public Ministry and the Joint Task Forces (FTC) to seek protection.
MARTENS
Juan Martens, a doctor in criminology, pointed out that the Paraguayan State is failing in dealing with different criminal groups of different nature, including the self-styled Army of the Paraguayan People (EPP) and the Armed Peasant Group (ACA – EP).
“Despite the millionaire investment, they continue to have a presence and capacity for action and mobilization in the north. Which indicates to us that there is a failure in the policy of approaching the confrontation with these groups”, he pointed out.
The analyst pointed out that despite the fact that Paraguay militarized the North of the country since 2013, they do not register positive results.
REVOLUTIONARY TAXES
When asked about the actions to be taken by families that are extorted by “revolutionary taxes”, he said that the situation is already very complicated. Therefore, each family must evaluate the particular context.
“The State has no possibility of protection and therefore each family must develop a strategy, an analysis and act from there,” he commented.
He remembered the case of the Mennonites. In 2014, the FTC recommended that they no longer pay the tax. Due to this situation, there were between 5 to 6 kidnappings, some of them murdered, in the following months.
“It is a complicated situation. The only thing that can be done is to demand that the State guarantee security, in the meantime each family will have to develop their own protection strategy”, he stated.
He finally said that this “tax” has been in force for years. It is not just a matter of now.
CONTEXT
Last Tuesday, December 14, the EPP released the 23-year-old Mennonite settler Peter Reimer. This, after a week of captivity. His family paid as a “revolutionary tax” the sum of US$500,000 in groceries to communities in Amambay, San Pedro, Canindeyú and in the Chacarita neighborhood of Asunción.
