May 7, 2026 at – 1:51 p.m.
One of the reasons for canceling the traditional military parade on these national holidays was the search for the kidnapped, as alleged by the Minister of National Defense, Óscar González. He himself assured that they decided to prioritize these tasks. While the family of one of the victims asks: “And in the previous years in which they paraded, they were not searched for?”
He Minister of National Defense, Óscar Gonzálezassured this morning that one of the reasons why The military parade for National Independence was suspended is that they will focus on relevant search operations for the kidnapped people.
“Have operations that are having a lot of participation of military personnel, that we cannot raise because of the parade… It is the search for the kidnapped, for example. So we consider that this is more important than holding the military parade,” he declared to the press today.
He assured that they will hold other commemorative events. “Because first of all we are patriots, that does not mean that we do not give importance to national holidays,” he said.
Read more: Untimely war between the military just at a key moment of Almir’s kidnapping
“Operational” reasons
In press conference Later given before a small number of journalists, the minister insisted that the “main” cause of this suspension is the search for the kidnapped people. However, he added other reasons: the operations against drug trafficking and the humanitarian aid who are leading.
He said that last year around 8,000 soldiers were deployed for this parade and the goal is not to have to affect the work in progress this year. He stated that the decision was made by President Santiago Peña after the suggestion of the Ministry of Defense and the Military Forces. Likewise, he insisted on assigning responsibility to the organizing committee of the National Holidays, specifically to the Ministry of Culture.
Finally, he assured that Parades will be held in the interior of the country previously agreed and organized with municipalities and governorates. In Asunción, they will accompany the raising of the flag at the Government Palace, the floral offering at the National Pantheon and the Te Deum at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Without evidence, they maintain that he is still alive
The minister gave as an example the case of Almir Brum Da Silva, regarding whom he once again maintained that “intelligence information” indicates that he is still alive, although he reiterated that to date no evidence or ransom request has been received.
“Hopefully we will have news as soon as possible, we are working intensely on intelligence operations so that the results of these operations will tell us what tactical operation to carry out,” he concluded.
Read more: Almost a month after the kidnapping of Almir de Brum, authorities presume that he is still alive
Response from relatives
At the same time, the daughter of one of the kidnapped people, Beatriz Denisreacted with indignation to these statements by the minister.
“And in the previous years in which they paraded, the kidnapped people were not searched for then?” he stated for ABC.
His father, Óscar Denis, was captured by the criminal group calling itself EPP more than five years ago. Since then, his family has been fighting to get answers, along with the other victims of the terrorist group.
Every year, the State allocates high funds for the incursions of the Internal Defense Operations Command (CODI) in the north of the country, which was created exclusively to combat this criminal group. Although the authorities claim that most of the leaders have already been “neutralized,” many are still at large and other young people have joined.
