MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay's first intelligence service created

President Horacio Cartes creates Paraguay's first intelligece service

The new national security network is aimed at detecting and neutralizing threats from domestic and international terrorist groups.

President Horacio Cartes signed into law the creation of Paraguay's first National Intelligence System (Sinai) service with the purpose of “detecting, neutralizing and counterbalancing the actions of domestic and international terrorist groups, and of transnational criminal organisations.” The Sinai shall be formed by a National Intelligence Council (CNI) and a National Intelligence Secretariat (SNI) reporting directly to the President, according to the decree available on the web since Wednesday.

The Sinai shall include the Ministries of the Interior and Defence, the National Antidrugs Secretariat (Seand) and the Money Laundering Prevention Secretariat (Sprelad) to “gather and process information domestically and internationally.” It shall “file bi-monthly secret reports” to the President and to the ministers and authorities deemed relevant in each case.

In addition to that, the role of the new body will be “to guarantee peace and the security of the State, protect national sovereignty, and preserve the [existing] constitutional order and democratic form of government.” The decree also specifies that the CNI shall be of advisory nature and will assemble every two months or whenever summoned by the national Secretary of Intelligence.

The main threats to domestic security in Paraguay are drug trafficking and the Paraguayan People's Army - Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo (EPP) guerrilla group. Paraguay is considered to be the main producer of marijuana in the region and also a passthrough spot for cocaine on its way to Europe, Argentina and Brazil, according to Seand.

Since Cartes became president in August 2013, the Government has deployed a combined police, military and antidrug Joint Task Force (FTC) to fight EPP near the Brazilian border, specially in the districts of Concepcion and San Pedro. The guerrilla group has reportedly killed 38 people including civilians as well as military and police officers since 2008 and currently holds hostage Paraguayan police officer Edelio Morinigo, 24, since July 5.

EPP has disregarded pleas from the Paraguayan Episcopal Conference to release the hostage for Christmas. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Francisco de Vargas addressed the families of those kidnapped: “I want to tell you once more that their liberation is a priority for this Government” and added that “we can't but offer you hope at this moment and let you know that we're working to bring your loved ones back so that this nightmare can end right now.”

The other hostage EPP had, 17-year-old Brazilian Arlan Flick, was released late Thursday in Colonia Río Verde in the district of Concepcion, after 267 days in captivity. Arlan's family reportedly met the rebels' demands.

The head of Sinai has not yet been appointed.