Notorious Paraguayan School of the Americas Graduates

COL Francisco Benitez 1976, Infantry Officer Advanced Corruption: Benitez was removed from his post for accepting bribes in exchange for exemption from obligatory military service. (IDHP)
*Ruby Diaz 1989, Instructor Illegal Search and Seizure: Diaz was the commander of Operation "Yhaguay" in which 300 soldiers searched the private homes of Paraguayan peasants without warrant and illegally seized nearly 200 hunting weapons. (IDHP)
GEN Enrique Duarte 1969, Communications Officers Course Harrassment and illegal detention: In 1985, several cattle were stolen from a ranch owned by Gen. Duarte. Duarte's foreman, Bogado Nuñez was arrested and detained for a total of 61 days, during which time he was tortured. Nuñez's family claims that the Duarte told them he knew Nuñez was innocent but was holding him until he could find the true thieves. When Nuñez was finally tried, he was found innocent. (AW:LAOD)
*GEN Roberto Knofelmacher 1954, Engineering Moral author of assassination: On July 12, 1996, peasant leaders Arsenio Vazquezy and Mariano Diaz were murdered by employees of a firm owned by Gen. Knofelmacher. The murders were followed by the destruction of the homes and the forcible removal of peasant families from a piece of land claimed by Knofelmacher. The peasants have brought suit against Knofelmacher as the moral author of the assassinations. (IDHP)


Information researched by Heather Dean.


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