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Paraguay President Orders Security Overhaul After Deadly Attack
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Paraguay President Orders Security Overhaul After Deadly Attack

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Paraguay's President Santiago Peña ordered a strategic reorganization of police and military forces in the eastern department of Canindeyú.
  • The order follows an armed attack on a police station in Naranjito, which killed three people, including two officers, and injured another.
  • The government plans to regroup and better arm police officers in sensitive regions to counter well-equipped criminal groups.

President Santiago Peña has ordered a "strategic reorganization" of Paraguay's National Police and Military Forces in the eastern department of Canindeyú, following a deadly armed assault on a police station. The attack in Naranjito, a community in Ybyrarobaná district bordering Brazil, resulted in three deaths, including two officers, and one injury.

I have instructed the Armed Forces and the National Police to immediately redouble operations and implement a strategic reorganization in Canindeyú.

— Santiago PeñaParaguay's President announcing the security measures on his X account.

Peña announced the directive after a National Defense Council meeting, stating on social media platform X, "I have instructed the Armed Forces and the National Police to immediately redouble operations and implement a strategic reorganization in Canindeyú." He expressed solidarity with the victims' families, vowing to pursue criminal organizations relentlessly with the full force of the state.

Interior Minister Enrique Riera confirmed that authorities recovered shell casings from approximately ten weapons, suggesting a similar number of attackers. He also revealed a government plan to reorganize and better equip police officers in sensitive areas. "This will be the result of an autonomous decision by the Police that I will support," Riera said, adding that a plan for redeploying police forces in Canindeyú would be developed within 24 hours.

My solidarity is with the families of the victims. We will not give respite to criminal organizations, we will pursue them with all the force of the State until we neutralize their actions.

— Santiago PeñaPresident Peña's statement of resolve against criminal groups.

The minister noted that Paraguay has over 1,120 police stations across its 17 departments, though he did not specify the number in Canindeyú or other high-risk regions. The attack, reportedly carried out by 20 to 30 armed individuals, also saw the police station set ablaze, highlighting the significant security challenges in the region.

This will be the result of an autonomous decision by the Police that I will support, and they will achieve a plan in less than 24 hours to be able to reorganize the police troops, the police forces in the department of Canindeyú, which is clearly facing complicated situations.

— Enrique RieraParaguay's Interior Minister explaining the upcoming police reorganization.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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