THE UNITED STATES IS IMPLEMENTING PLAN PARAGUAY

The United States is zeroing in on drug trafficking in areas bordering with
Brazil. After launching Plan Colombia early this month, the Americans have
decided to follow an identical strategy regarding Paraguay. During visits
to three Paraguayan Army bases located close to the Brazilian border, US
Ambassador to Paraguay David Greenlee said that the fight on drug
trafficking is a challenge that his country intends to face. Garments,
equipment, and information services are already being lined up to fight the
drug and arms trade on the border. "Paraguay is a transit country. It needs
attention," he said.

The US diplomat conferred with Paraguayan officers a few days after a
meeting of South American presidents was held in Brasilia, where it became
clear that there was opposition to the US action in Colombia. At the same
time, US Navy troops concluded exercises along the Paraguay River, which
links the Brazilian, Argentine, and Bolivian territories.

Ambassador Greenlee dismissed the possibility that these maneuvers would
entail future actions by US Armed Forces against drug traffickers in
Paraguay. "It is a normal exercise that is conducted annually and it has
provided useful information to the US and Paraguayan Armed forces. I also
followed exercises in Bolivia."

In Brasilia, despite not participating in these maneuvers, the Brazilian
Navy said that it had information about the exercises, described as "river
operations conducted by US, Bolivian, and Paraguayan forces from August to
September." Captain Luiz Fernando Palmer Fonseca, of the Brazilian Navy
Public Relations Office, said: "Brazil has participated in these operations
jointly with the navies of the United States, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela,
Uruguay, Colombia, and Peru, conducting exercises with its ships on the sea
coast close to the border with these countries."

Strategies [subhead]

Paraguayan Army officers have guaranteed that the meetings between the US
ambassador and the Paraguayan officers were designed to formulate a
strategy that would be implemented against drug trafficking. Surveys
conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency, DEA, the US agency in charge of
fighting drugs, point to Paraguay as a hub for cocaine refining and sale of
weapons for Colombian guerrilla fighters.

Talks for a US, Paraguayan alliance began early this month at the border
with Brazil. Greenlee visited military bases in strategic points such as
Pedro Juan Caballero, a Paraguayan city located across the border from
Ponta Pora, Mato Grosso do Sul; Salto del Guaira, which is close to Guaira,
in Parana State; and Curuguaty, which is 200 km away from the Brazilian
border. Greenlee also overflew the Chaco Region at the border with Bolivia,
in the northern part of Paraguay.

At the Pedro Juan Caballero base, which is located in the 13th Department
of Amambay, the ambassador conferred for more than one hour with Paraguayan
and US officers, and DEA agents. There, Greenlee had access to a videotape
with details of operations conducted by the Antinarcotics Directorate
(Dinar), which is responsible for fighting drug trafficking in Paraguay.
The US ambassador also received a report with details on the action of
traffickers and Dinar's problems to fight them.

Among the shortcomings, the Paraguayan officers mentioned a lack of
aircraft to reach marijuana plantations and cocaine refining laboratories,
which are normally set up in inaccessible areas. According to Paraguayan
military officers, the possibility of building a US air base to control air
traffic was discussed. The ambassador also visited the commercial center of
Pedro Juan Caballero, a city with 45,000 residents that is separated from
Brazil by a street.

In a meeting held in Asuncion with Paraguayan Air Force Commander Carlos
Ovando, the ambassador said that the United Sates would be mediating for
the release of six military helicopters donated by Taiwan to Paraguay. Gen.
Ovando said: "The release of these US manufactured war aircraft must first
be authorized by the United States. They will be used for air patrol from
bases on the border and to fight drug trafficking." Bases located in the
Chaco, which are close to Bolivia; and that of Caazapa, which is 211 km
from the Argentine border, will receive airplanes.

An agreement between the Untied States and Paraguay sparked discussions
about the involvement of the Armed Forces in fighting drugs. Like in
Brazil, the Paraguayan Army, the Navy, and the Air Force can only
participate in supplying equipment. Army General Expedito Garrigoza said:
"That is a political decision. Up to this moment, the law does not provide
for a direct involvement by military personnel in fighting drugs. These
meetings are initially designed to exchange information."

Early this month, Paraguayan deputies began to discuss proposals for
reorganizing the Armed Forces. Three proposals are based on the guiding
principle that the Defense Ministry should be responsible for the chain of
command of the Armed Forces.