EPP Attacks: In Which Government Were the Terrorists Most Violent?

The Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) has conducted a total of at least 158 attacks over its 29-year existence, initially known as the Banda de Choré. These actions have led to the deaths of 48 civilians, 20 police officers, and 14 military personnel, while the group itself has suffered 19 casualties. The latest attack, on a police post in Colonia Naranjito, marks the eighth incident during the current government of Santiago Peña Palacios.

The EPP's origins trace back to December 15, 1997, with an unsuccessful bank robbery attempt in Choré. Following this, many members were arrested, including Lucio Silva, who was later killed in 2020, and Alcides Osmar Oviedo Brítez and Carmen María Villalba Ayala, who have been imprisoned since 2004. Upon their release, they reorganized the group and formed alliances with radical political leaders.

This evolved into the EPP's "first generation," which carried out the kidnapping of businesswoman María Edith Bordón de Debernardi in November 2001, during the government of Luis Ángel González Macchi. The group reportedly received $1 million for her release, funds intended to finance their political activities. However, many members were again identified and pursued, leading key figures like Alcides Oviedo and Carmen Villalba to go into hiding before their eventual capture in July 2003.

The "second generation" of the EPP emerged from further alliances between far-left political figures and new recruits. This iteration was responsible for the September 2004 kidnapping of Cecilia Mariana Cubas Gusinky, who was found dead in February 2005. The article notes that this occurred during the government of Nicanor Duarte Frutos.