The president of Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez, has ordered on Tuesday the dismissal of the Minister of Justice, Édgar Taboada, hours after he was appointed to the post.
The decision was taken after Taboada received a wave of criticism for allowing the coffin of the guerrilla leader of the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP) Osvaldo Villalba, alias ‘commander Alexander’, to enter the Buen Pastor prison, in order to receive the «last goodbye» of his sister and member of the same terrorist group Carmen Villalba.
The sister of the deceased demanded to the authorities the transfer of the body to the prison, place to which several relatives went without carrying out the previous judicial procedures, reported the Paraguayan newspaper ‘El Nacional’.
The ministerial portfolio authorized this afternoon the entry of the coffin with the remains of Villalba to the women’s penitentiary because of the fear of a riot. «It came as a surprise, if they had done it in time we could have evaluated it», commented Taboada in declarations to ABC Cardinal radio.
The head of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency, Hernán Huttemann, has also confirmed the dismissal of the prison director, Marian Vázquez, for acceding to the family’s requests.
Paraguayan authorities confirmed the death of three guerrilla fighters killed in combat this Sunday in the east of the country. One of them is the considered leader of the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP) Osvaldo Villalba, alias ‘commander Alexander’.
Villalba, 39, has been charged with at least 60 crimes. This is one of the most important blows dealt to the EPP in recent years, celebrated the head of the National Police Intelligence Department, Nimio Cardozo.
