MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay shocked by lack of law and order.

Thousands of Paraguayans took to the streets of the capital Asunción to protest increasing crime following a wave of killings and kidnappings.

Marchers demanded a tougher response to crime and violence triggered by two recent high profile kidnappings, one of which the 10 year old son of a tobacco merchant which was found beaten and killed last Wednesday.

Two years ago the older sister of the Riquelme family was abducted but freed following the payment of 50,000 US dollars. This time the family alleged they had no cash and offered a vehicle and their house but kidnappers rejected the offer and killed Anibal.

The other kidnapping case involves the 31 year old daughter of former President Raul Cubas, Cecilia, who was taken from her car near her home last September 21 in a commando style operation by heavily armed gunmen.

The recent crime wave led President Nicanor Duarte to fire his Interior minister and National Police Commander last Wednesday when the body of Anibal was found.

Killings and kidnappings are only part of the daily crime agenda according to protestors who claim there are hundreds of unreported armed robberies in the streets, house burglaries, cattle rustling, "express" kidnapping and vehicle thefts.

The Paraguayan House of Deputies is asking for the resignation of several "lenient" Prosecutors and the president of the Paraguayan Catholic Bishops Conference Monsignor Claudio Jimenez is demanding "tougher and stricter" legislation, plus the police follow up of crime.

However government Interior Ministry sources allege that the Police is under equipped to confront an ever more sophisticated delinquency. Apparently of a total 11,000 police force only 681 have bullet vests; 1,533 weapons; 1,655 radio communication systems and in 750 stations only 372 have patrol cars.

Paraguay's main daily ABC warned in this Friday's edition that the country is heading straight into a non rule situation given the "extended corruption and immorality prevalent in police cadres", and recalls that recently several of the crime and drug gangs arrested had cops among their members.