Militarism in Paraguay: The Other Side of the Economic Model http://www.cipamericas.org/archives/5581

From a sociological point of view, Cristina Coronel of Serpaj points out the state of emergency “generated a lack of confidence, rupturing ties, and creating fear among the area population, focusing on common crimes in a way that criminalizes social struggles” [12].Irala concludes that the “militarization of democracy” had advanced significantly with the presence of Colombian advisers as “the principal reference with respect to security for Paraguay.” He notes a division of labor, with U.S. government entities, such as the embassy in Paraguay, directing and accompanying humanitarian efforts.

The Criminalization of Protest.He firmly states that the neoliberal model of economic growth based on extraction and commodities export brings with it the hypothesis that conflict is internally, rather than externally directed. The protagonist is “the internal enemy, which can easily mean organizations and social movements critical of the system”