Peruvian workers defend Bolivian Evo Morales

PARAGUAY: US military prepares to ‘spread democracy'

Controversy is raging in Paraguay, where the US military is conducting secretive operations. Five hundred US troops arrived in the country on July 1 with planes, weapons and ammunition. Eyewitness reports prove that an airbase exists in Mariscal Estigarribia, 200 kilometres from the border with Bolivia, that may be utilised by the US military.

Officials in Paraguay claim the military operations are routine humanitarian efforts and deny that any plans are underway for a US base. Yet human rights groups in the area are deeply worried. White House officials are using rhetoric about terrorist threats in the tri-border region (where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet) in order to build their case for military operations.

The tri-border area is home to the Guarani Aquifer, one of the world’s largest reserves of water. Near the Estigarribia airbase are Bolivia’s natural gas reserves, the second largest in Latin America. Political analysts believe US operations in Paraguay are part of a preventative war to control these natural resources and suppress social uprisings in Bolivia.