Argentina demands Paraguay investigates deaths of two girls

One year on, ‘there has been no clarification’ over the killings of two 11-year-old cousins by Paraguay state security.

Asunción, Paraguay – The Argentinian government and human rights organisations have reiterated demands for Paraguay to fully investigate the killing of two 11-year-old girls by state security forces in an operation against the left-wing Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP) one year ago. Argentina’s foreign ministry expressed deep concern on Thursday that “there has been no clarification of events linked to the deaths” of Argentinian citizens María del Carmen Villalba and Lilian Villalba. The cousins were killed on September 2, 2020 during the operation near the town of Yby Yaú in northeastern Paraguay by the Joint Task Force (FTC), a state security unit created to combat the EPP. Protests took place in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the event.