Family of kidnapped former Vice President Oscar Denis accuses the Government of Paraguay of inaction

The family of the former vice president of Paraguay Oscar Denis, 75 years old and kidnapped thirteen months ago by the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP) guerrilla, again this Saturday to accuse the Government of “indifference” regarding the situation of the retired politician, whose whereabouts are still unknown.

The daughters of Denis released a statement, on the completion of another month of their captivity today, in which they include in that “lack of will” of the Government the policeman Edelio Morínigo and the rancher Félix Urbieta, of whom there is no news since their kidnappings ago. years for the guerrillas.

“Every day we are witnesses to the inability of the State to guarantee the basic right to freedom, to the lack of political will for the return of Dad, Edelio and Félix, to the indifference on the part of our authorities towards kidnapping.or, ”the statement said.

“We have been knocking on doors for almost 400 days, asking the national authorities for concrete actions to build the result required by the National Constitution to guarantee and ensure the freedom of all the inhabitants of our beloved Paraguay.”, points to the text.

The family, who on previous occasions had expressed the same criticism of the Executive presided over by Mario Abdo Benítez, recalled that when he assumed the Presidency he promised to respect the Constitution and the laws.

“Today we claim it once again”, said the relatives of the politician from the opposition Liberal Party.

Likewise, the family once again requested a meeting of the three Powers of State “To coordinate a state policy aiming at the return of Edelio, Félix and Oscar”.

“Our leaders up to this moment have shown that they are not interested in adopting actions that could return the hostages to their homes,” the note added.

Denis was kidnapped in September 2020 after leaving his cattle ranch between the departments of Amambay and Concepción (north) by a group of armed men.

Since then the family has not received the proof of life that they have been asking the guerrillas for, despite the fact that they claimed to have fulfilled the condition imposed by the EPP for their liberation: the distribution of food to peasant communities worth two million dollars.

The EPP, which claims to be the standard bearer for the poor peasantry and finances itself through kidnappings and the collection of the “revolutionary tax” from agricultural and livestock entrepreneurs in the north of the country, kidnapped the police non-commissioned officer Edelio Morínigo in 2014.

And a group splinter from the EPP took by force two years later the rancher Félix Urbieta.

Their relatives also criticize the Government for not being able to provide information on their condition after so long.

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