Brazil donates six M108 105mm self-propelled howitzers to Paraguay

[sandensea]

2. Interesting anecdote, rso - and not too surprising

My parents are Argentine, and for as long as they could remember, Paraguay always had that same reputation Tijuana has among Californians:

A hot, dangerous and largely lawless place where few (other than people sent by employers, or diplomatic personnel) would have any business to venture - unless they were up to no good (you know?).

My own grandmother had her new Peugeot 504 stolen in the 1970s, and sure enough: police traced the vehicle to Paraguay (though w/o recovery) - stolen by one of a number of Paraguayan gangs who roam around Argentina and Brazil stealing cars for resale into their market.

During the Stroessner years, as you may know, Paraguay had no automobile registry - a policy seemingly designed to promote the resale of stolen cars.

The country - particularly Ciudad del Este, the 2nd-largest city - continues to be a hub for stolen contraband, drugs, and weapons (another Stroessner legacy).

Recently, explosives were reportedly intercepted en route from Paraguay on a tip from British intelligence. The intended use was apparently to bomb one of any number of Jewish institutions (temples, schools, cultural centers, etc.) in Argentina.

The news has shaken already frayed nerves in Argentina: Buenos Aires, you'll recall, already had two deadly such bombings in '92 and '94 - at the height of the Isreal/Palestine peace process (Rabin, much to his credit, did not let them deter him).