Remains of victims of Paraguay dictatorship found

Remains of victims of Paraguay dictatorship foundAsuncion, Paraguay  - The remains of two victims of Paraguay's military dictatorship under Alfredo Stroessner have been found on the site of a police barracks near the capital, the Interior Ministry said.

Interior Minister Rafael Filizzola said Thursday that it was more than certain that the body parts were of victims persecuted, tortured and murdered by Stroessner's regime. He did not rule out that more bodies could be found at the site near Asuncion.

Prosecutors ordered the remains to be exhumed immediately.

Human rights activists regarded the find as important for the truth-finding process and to bringing justice to the regime's victims.

The findings showed all signs of a secret burial, said Carlos Portillo, a lawyer and human rights activist.

He said he believes one of the victims might be a prominent Argentinian opponent of the regime who had been incarcerated at the infamous Emboscada prison near Asuncion.

Stroessner, who was born in Germany, came to power in Paraguay in 1945 after a coup and ruled the country with an iron fist until 1989.

His regime was believed to have been one of the most brutal in South America. During the general's rule, dissidents were tortured, kidnapped and murdered.

Human rights activists accused Stroessner, who died in Brazilian exile in 2006, of having been responsible for 900 murders in Paraguay. (dpa)