Author Archives: Nil Nikandrov

The operation launched by the US Department of State and the CIA with the aim of displacing Paraguay’s first leftist president, Fernando Lugo, entered the final phase on June 16, when police forces were dispatched to evict squatters from the Morumbí farm in the Curuguaty district, near the Brazilian border. The land holding is known to be owned by Paraguayan businessman and politician Blas Riquelme. Upon arriving at the site, the police unexpectedly came under gunfire from rifles with the caliber high enough to drill bulletproof vests. The chief of a special operations police unit (GEO) and his deputy were shot dead, and the police, to which instructions had been issued to avoid using force, were left with no choice but to return fire. Eleven civilians were mowed down and dozens wounded as a result. Continue reading →