Paraguayan president aims to end EPP insurgency

Paraguayan president Federico Franco met with senior military officials on 24 October, reportedly to discuss measures aimed at ending the Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo (EPP) insurgency.

According to a statement by Commander of the Armed Forces General Miguel Christ Jacobs, the president requested that the military step up monitoring and intelligence gathering work on the EPP and to be prepared to act in support of the National Police (Policía Nacional: PN) if necessary. Christ Jacobs also clarified that Franco's order did not extend to direct military intervention against the EPP, which as constitutionally stipulated, can only take place in the case of a state of emergency being declared. He declined to say whether the president was considering calling for emergency measures to be adopted.

Franco's government appears in recent weeks to be increasingly focusing its attentions on tackling the EPP. On 19 October, the president issued a statement saying: "There are two ways to fight the EPP: confrontation and the creation of policies that will allow an effective state presence in the areas under threat."