The theological student who became a guerrilla commander
In short: In 1992, Oviedo Britez was expelled from a theology course. Years later, he would lead the Paraguayan People's Army, an insurgency defined by kidnappings, cattle raiding, and a complex web of political and criminal ties in northeastern Paraguay.
The roots of the Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) lie in the political shifts following the 1989 fall of the Stroessner dictatorship. This era allowed previously banned left-wing groups to develop rapidly. The EPP’s core was formed by members of the Patria Libre party, including Britez, Juan Arrom Suhurt, and Carmen Villalba. Between 1995 and 1996, Britez and Villalba allegedly underwent military training from Chile's Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front.
The group's tactics have historically relied on high-stakes kidnappings for ransom. Notable incidents include the 2001 abduction of María Edith Bordón de Debernast, which resulted in a $1 million ransom, and the 2004 kidnapping of Cecilia Cubas, the daughter of former president Raúl Cubas, who was killed despite a $300,000 payment. Between 2005 and the summer of 2014, the EPP's campaign led to at least 145 deaths, primarily targeting police, security guards, and local ranchers.
The insurgency's ideology, outlined in Britez's book 'Francist 21st Century Revolution,' blends Marxism–Leninism with Bolivarianism and references the 19th-century dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. While the EPP has faced internal fractures—such as the formation of the ACA and EML splinter groups—it remains a persistent force. The conflict is further complicated by allegations of ties to the Colombian FARC and involvement in the drug trade, though the EPP has denied drug trafficking involvement, labeling such claims as government propaganda.
The movement's footprint is deeply local; many members reportedly belong to just eight families, and the group maintains support in certain controlled areas. However, the violence has expanded to include attacks on Mennonite communities and clashes with Brazilian gangs like Comando Vermelho, making the northeastern region a volatile landscape of competing interests.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Insurgency in Paraguay
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