MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US denies setting up military base in Paraguay

The United States Embassy in Asunción has denied an allegation which caused concern in Mercosur that Washington was planning to set up a military base in Paraguay.

Kevin Johnson, an adviser for the embassy, said the US troops' presence in Paraguay was in line with a programme of military manoeuvres carried out by both countries since 1948.

"My government does not want to establish a military base," he said in reports published on Friday in Asunción. He added that U S was concerned about what he described as "illegal activities" taking place in the Triple Frontier zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.

"We know that there are illegal activities and that terrorist groups are financed there".

One year ago, on the occasion of the kidnapping and killing of Cecilia Cubas, daughter of former Paraguayan president Raúl Cubas, President Nicanor Duarte Frutos asked for the cooperation of his US counterpart George W. Bush, said Johnson.

Investigation results showed that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, that country's largest rebel group, was operating in Paraguay, he added.

Johnson said that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would open an office in Asunción in 2007. It would be similar to those it has maintained since the 1990s in Buenos Aires and other South American capitals.

The official said there was "good intelligence work" between his country and Paraguay, as shown by the recent capture and extradition to the US of Brazilian Carlos Ivan Mendes Mezquita, who was accused of drug trafficking.

Argentine Defence Minister José Pampuro said earlier this month that Argentina would be "concerned" if a temporary accord between Paraguay and the US to allow the presence of US troops on Paraguayan territory became permanent. Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa said that "the region needs no US base".

Paraguay two months ago granted limited immunity to some 400 US troops to enter its territory until December 2006 for joint manoeuvres and to train Paraguayan military forces.

Argentine newspaper Ambito Financiero has speculated that Paraguay would allow a US base in its territory in exchange for a purported US offer of a bilateral free trade agreement. (BAH).-