On September 2nd Special Forces of the reactionary Paraguayan Army attacked a camp of the Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo (EPP), the Paraguayan People’s Army. The attack prompted Paraguayans President to have some pictures taken with him on site and to post on twitter about the success of the operation. The only people killed in this army raid however, were two 11 year old girls.
President Mario Abdó posing for the press after his "successful" raid
Both girls were visiting their relatives, who are supporters of the EPP, when the special forces rained down on them last Wednesday. As one of them died with six bullets and the other with two, there can be no pretense about them “being caught” in the cross fire. Still, with the President on site after the raid a massive attempt was made to not only cover up the massacre of two defenseless children but to make the raid into a victory.
Hence, the same day, both girls were stripped of their clothes, which were then burned, and put into military uniforms. Furthermore both of them were “examined” and it was “determined” that they would be two female Paraguayan citizens, one 15 years old and the other 17-18 years old. Both children were put in the same grave somewhere in the woods the same day, “in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19”. It was furthermore stated in a press conference by the Paraguayan Government, that both of these two “members of an armed group” were carrying hundreds of rounds of ammunition on them and a tactical vest. The story has been blown wide open, when Argentine officials confirmed both girls to be 11 year old Argentinians. By now, even the UN has called for an investigation of the killings.
"E-Learning", "Online classes, "Webinars", etc. have in some countries become common place due to corona. In Peru, as well as in many other countries, particularly semi-feudal and semi-colonial, having access to computers capable for these tasks or internet connections (with sufficient bandwidth) is not a given. Particularly to the poorest people and in the countryside this kind of technology is not available as the old Peruvian state have failed to provide any of the necessary requirements to them, which specifically excludes students there to learn and the teachers to work. Fighting to enforce the demand of the people for accessible education, the Committee in Defense of the SUTEP ÚNICO has issued a statement denouncing this situation and students have devolped different activities.
"Internet for all - Without computers and without internet it is impossible to learn from a distance"
"Urgent! My students have neither computers nor internet. The do not learn from at home"
"With the right for education but without connection"
On August 24, Gunmen invaded the lands of the Kayapo peoples located in the state of Mato Grosso in western Brazil. The attackers fired 29 shots at barrier erected by the indigenous people and then fled by car. This act is clearly intended to intimidate the Kayapo people into going along with the plans of the Government and landlords that are currently attempting to build new infrastructure to better exploit the natural resources near to a settlement of the Kayapo people, without considering the repercussions on them, particularly their health, and without consulting them.
Hence, a week before the assault, 200 Kayapo dressed for war took over highway BR-163. The highway connects important soy and corn-producing regions of Mato Grosso to the river port of Miritituba, where barges are supposed to take grain to the Amazon River ports to be exported. Thus BR-163 is an important axis for commerce and the blockage was very succesful. During the 24h blockade, a letter send to the Kayapo by the government was burnt symbolically and in a statement, they affirmed: "We do not accept the Army, the Federal Police or the Military Police to come here and take us by force. That way there will be blood spilled on this asphalt.”
