La Catedral Metropolitiana is noted for its very large gilded altar and religious art. It is one of the
 oldest and largest sacred buildings in the western hemisphere and dominates the square alongside the National Palace. Beneath the cathedral is part of a former Aztec temple with the Wall of the Skulls and the Temple of Xipe Tolec. The original cathedral was begun in 1525 but was partially demolished and partially reconstructed. The current cathedral dates back to 1563, it took 250 years to build. Its façade has a baroque feel with its massive covings and spiral columns, as well as its two neo-classical open work towers. The bell towers were added in 1793 and in 1813 the dome was completed and three statues were added to the clock tower representing faith, hope and compassion. The bells are uncommon in that they vary in size with the largest, named Guadalupe, is a massive 5,600kg. Inside there are three naves, a main one plus two side naves as well as fourteen side altars. Visitors can admire the architecture here.

Construction began in 1857 built for Francisco Solano Lopez, the son of the President of the Republic. The work began on it under the guidance of English architect Alonso Taylor, though planned by Hungarian Francisco Wisner. It was built in the neo-classical style, abandoned after the war of the Triple Alliance and not completed till the late 19th Century. The Palacio is one of the most beautiful buildings of Asuncion and overlooks the bay.

Crecer (Grow) is the latest government initiative which focuses on child malnutrition.

25 percent of children under five years have stunted growth in relation to their age and this rises to 66 percent in the seven poorest regions. The aim is to reduce the average to 20 percent by 2011.

Almost half the population is poor, significantly higher in the rural areas, and 20 percent are classed as extremely poor. In the urban areas poverty is the most unequal.

More than 39 percent of the total population and two thirds of the rural population in Peru live below the poverty line.

Inequalities in human development can be seen between urban and rural areas, Spanish and non-Spanish speakers and across the climate zones. Most of the extreme poor live in rural areas in the highlands and the rural jungles and have Quechua, Aymara and other languages as their native tongue rather than Spanish. They have fewer opportunities to progress through life due to the obvious discrimination caused by language barriers.

Despite National trends showing a reduction in child mortality and an increase in school enrolment since the mid 1990s chronic rates of under – nutrition prevail in rural areas. Children’s growth and development are affected by poor nutrition. Despite progress in access to services for the poor, disparities between urban and rural areas and across different regions mortality remains high. A quarter of the population has no access to health services despite free health care since 2002.

Children are the most vulnerable and unprotected. Of the 3.8 million people living in extreme poverty 2.1 million are children. Of the 10.2 million under 18 population 6.5 million live below the poverty line. Poverty remains high and the proportion of children who live in poverty is much higher than figures for the population as a whole often indicates.

Socio – economic disparities and exclusion continue to affect children and adolescents who are not benefitting from the economic growth. Enrolment for school declines with age due to the expense of keeping a child in school. Child labor is a factor here as nearly 90 percent of children help out at home or work on the family farm.

Levels of poverty, mortality rates and malnourishment among indigenous groups are twice as high as national averages. Peru has one of the highest levels of income inequality and the gap between the rich and poor is widening.

Jaques Mahien, professor at the University of Buenas Aries, Argentina wrote several books about the Runic Inscriptions of Pre-Columbus Paraguay.

Runic Inscriptions that were written in the 13th Century.

In 1974, Mahiel wrote that he had extensive evidence to prove that a Nomadic Tribe of “White Indians,” in Paraguay, had Ancestors who were “White Aryans of the Nordic Race.” Near Cerio Plilla he found Runes and Giant statue of Odin.

At Guazu, Paraguay, he found 31 Runic messages at the site of a Viking temple. These Artifacts can be traced to the year 967.

Rune Mysteries Peru

Professor Helmut Zettc of Vienna, believes that the Inca royalty was largely Vikings.

Zettc has a lot of evidence to prove his theory. In the Chririmoto Village, Peru, half the population are blue eyed and blond. They ride Norse Fjord ponies. Their language, Quechua, has many words that can be traced to Old Norse.

There is a sharp contrast between the blond, blue eyed children of Norse descent and the darker complexion, black hair of the Peruvian Native.

It is on record that Pizarro asked who the white skinned, red heads were. The Inca’s replied that they were the last descendants of the Viracohas, a divine race of white men with beards.

There is an immense conspiracy to smother historical facts pertaining to Viking artifacts. One well known archaeologist, boasted that he had opened and torn apart more than three thousand Viking Stone graves. These men and women are firmly entrenched. The reason for this furious defense of the status quo is “self preservation.” There is no market for millions of outdated erroneous texts, or discredited professors.

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing. To see more of his writings visit his websites.

1.) Iguassu Falls

Iguassu Falls lies in the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, churning some 553-m3 of water per second down its 269 feet. These Falls are centrally located in the ecological heart of the forest It is one of the most recommended places for nature lovers travelers and photographers who want to experience and capture one of the most magnificent falls in all of south America.

2.) Ciudad del Este

One of the most popular places to go shopping is in Cuidad Del Este and the bustling flea market that has hundreds of things to see and to do. People will scurry across the street like ants scurrying there supplies for their homes. You can get some really great bargains in this area so come early and shop walk and tastes a different side of the life of a Paraguayans life

3.) Museum of the Guarani Land

One of the most visited places for a historical perspective in Paraguay is in the Museum of Guarani. You can submerse yourself in the ancient history of occupation, culture and tradition that will go back over 10 thousand years. This is a great way to learn about many aspects of Paraguayan culture so go and check it out while you’re down there.

4.) Refugio Biológico Tatí Yupí

Paraguay is in the process of building and expanding a national refuge after the building of the Itaipu Dam. They are making a wonderful example of how modern and natural landscapes can function together to create something useful to man but not destroy nature in the process. The dams shadow protects a wide area of forested land and it is prohibited from disturbing the natural order of things in this area. It also is one of the sublime locations for some of the wonderful ecological tours that you can take on horseback, hiking or by helicopter. After your trip through the forest you can then come back and camp under the stars ad is a must for people who are staying nearby.

5.) Casa de la Independencia

There is a great pride in the country for building called Casa de la Independencia. For three hundred years the country of Paraguay was colonized, There was a unfairness felt in this tiny jurisdiction with the natives so in 1811 they all decided to stand up in one voice and declare no more. It is amazing to see and read about the history of the revolution in Paraguay remember to bring a dictionary or knowledge of the Spanish language because most of the texts and communication will be in full Spanish.

6.) The Chaco

The Chaco is national park is one of the largest parks in the southern hemisphere covering not only Paraguay but also Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. The Gran is a place to enjoy the best ecological and biodiversity that South America has to offer. In this protected range are extensive collections of natural animals, avian birds, and bugs. In Paraguay you can enjoy the varying topographical conditions in the country and see and hear the people who continue to this day to maintain there original cultural heritage.

7.) Asado

There is one food that if you go you will have to savor that is ASADO. Asado is a selection of grilled meats roasted in a open fire. This is one of the more poular dishes in Paraguay, thanks to a large butcher market and cattle hustlers in the area. Anywhere you go in the country you will never run out of this delicacy.

8.) Asuncion

This is another famous historical place in Paraguay. It is one of the few places that you will see some of the original architecture built by some of Paraguay’s founding fathers. You can enjoy a number of different events and colorful festivals throughout the year. You can dance your way into the crowd and lose control of your soul as you inhale the deep aroma of the Paraguay culture.

9.) Lago Ypacari

This is a very unique lake with a very interesting legend that surrounds it. It is one of the few lakes in the are regarded as scared by the locals. This lake is thought to have magical curing powers so when you take a dip make sure you enjoy the healing properties of the lake and come out completely refreshed. But, you can also enjoy a number of water sports and parasailing on here as well.

10.) Trinidad & Jesús

Trinidad & Jesús is a Jesuit settlement in Paraguay built for religious, educational and defensive measures. You can hire a local tour guide that speaks English German and Spanish so need to worry about language barriers. With this you can enjoy an extensive tour around the area and then camp out near the local ruins.

Minister Sabino Montanaro, who served as interior minister under ex-dictator Alfredo Stroessner, arrived in Asuncion early Friday after nearly two decades of self-imposed exile in Honduras, his lawyer said.

Attorney Luis Troche did not explain why Montanaro decided to return but painted a picture of an ailing, aged man coming back to his native land.

Montanaro, 86, suffers from a fractured hip, Parkinson’s disease, a form of pneumonia and arteriosclerosis, Troche said Monday.

Officials said Montanaro was being treated in a police hospital, but it was not clear whether he had been taken into custody.

Montanaro was interior minister for two decades under Stroessner. Human rights groups say the dictatorship was part of a regional network of right-wing military governments that abducted, tortured and “disappeared” thousands of suspected leftist dissidents during the so-called Dirty War.

Paraguayan human rights activist Luis Alfonso Resck called Montanaro a “a brutal torturer.”

When a military coup toppled the dictatorship in 1989, Montanaro sought refuge in the Honduran consulate in Asuncion. Days later he arrived in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, where he lived until last week.

His unexpected return could give Paraguay the chance to move forward with the pending prosecutions.

Judge Arnaldo Fleitas said Monday he had “ordered a psychiatric exam to determine (Montanaro’s) mental state — whether he is in condition to appear before the court in the six pending trials against him for the torture, disappearance and death of dissidents.”

The Paraguayan government also expressed irritation at Honduras for not alerting them to Montanaro’s travel plans, and said it was considering lodging a formal protest.

“Montanaro should not have been able to leave Honduras so easily holding a diplomatic passport that expired in 1997,” Foreign Minister Hector Lacognata told reporters Monday.

Paraguay sought for years to question Stroessner about “disappearances” during the dictatorship, but he died in exile in Brazil in 2006 at the age of 93 without facing trial.

In April 1996, General Lino Cesar Oviedo staged a brief rebellion when asked by Wasmosy to resign his post as army commander, but a coup was averted and Oviedo was eventually acquitted of charges of armed insurrection. Oviedo, now a civilian, has become the leader of an opposing faction of Wasmosy’s Colorado Party. Other than Oviedo’s short-lived rebellion, however, no serious threats to Wasmosy’s economic and political reforms have been offered. In fact, the more democratic environment was tested and proven in 1993 by the first general labor strike in 35 years. Although the government responded with some force to this first strike, subsequent strikes have been met with a much gentler governmental hand. Unfortunately, the economy itself has been slow to respond to the new reforms. In the 1990s, Paraguay experienced 0% economic growth.

In the 1998 presidential elections, Raúl Cubas of the Colorado Party became president with 55.3% of the vote, but a year later he had to resign after the assassination of vice president Luis Argaña. Cubas was closely associated with General Oviedo and the latter was linked to the political assassination. Upon Cubas’ resignation, the president of the Senate, Luis González Macchi was sworn in as president. Cubas sought exile in Brazil and Oviedo sought refugee in Argentina. González was correctly considered as a caretaker until new elections were held in 2003.

On April 27, 2003, Colorado Party candidate Oscar Duarte won the presidential election with 37.1% of the vote. Duarte has promised to fight corruption in his party and the country. He has sought to distance himself from former Colorado Party leaders and has sought to portray himself as a modernizer and democratizing leader that will open Paraguay to the world economy.

During his dictatorship, Francisco Solano López provoked quarrels with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, who allied and attacked Paraguay. The War of the Triple Alliance (1865–70), sometimes called the Paraguayan War, was the bloodiest in Latin American history. López, who fancied himself a Latin Napoleon, drafted virtually every male in Paraguay over the age of 12, with no upper age limit, and insisted that his troops never surrender. The war was a disaster for Paraguay, which lost two-thirds of all its adult males, including López himself. Paraguay’s population fell from about 600,000 to about 250,000. The war also cost Paraguay 55,000 square miles of territory, its economic wellbeing, and its pride.

For the next 50 years, Paraguay stagnated economically. The male population was replaced by an influx of immigrants from Italy, Spain, Germany, and Argentina. Politically, there was a succession of leaders, alternating between the Colorado and Liberal parties. Then, a long-smoldering feud with Bolivia broke into open warfare (1932–35) after oil was discovered in the Chaco, a desolate area known as the “green hell.” Although outnumbered three to one, the Paraguayans had higher morale, were brilliantly led, and were better adapted to the climate of the region. Moreover, they regarded the conflict as a national undertaking to avenge the defeat of 1870. Paraguayans conquered three-fourths of the disputed territory, most of which they retained following the peace settlement of 1938.

Although President Eusebio Ayala emerged victorious from the Chaco War, he did not last long. The war produced a set of heroes, all of whom had great ambitions. One such man, Col. Rafael Franco, took power in February 1936. In 1939, after two more coups, Gen. José Felix Estigarribía, commander-in-chief during the Chaco War, was elected president. Estigarribía was killed in an airplane crash only a year later, and Gen. Higinio Morínigo, the minister of war, was appointed president by the cabinet. Through World War II, Morínigo received large amounts of aid from the United States, even though he allowed widespread Axis activity in the country. Meanwhile, he dealt harshly with domestic critics.

Morínigo retired in 1948, but was unable to find a successor. After a one-year period of instability, Federico Chávez seized control, and ruled from 1949 until 1954. In May 1954, Gen. Alfredo Stroessner, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, used his cavalry to seize power. He had himself elected president as the candidate of the Colorado Party, and then was reelected in another single-slate election in 1958, although he did permit the Liberal Party to hold its first convention in many years. With US help, he brought financial stability to an economy racked by runaway inflation, but he used terrorist methods in silencing all opposition. Exiles who invaded Paraguay simultaneously from Argentina and Brazil in December 1959 were easily routed. Six other small invasions during 1960 were also repulsed. Stroessner won a third presidential term in February 1963, despite the constitutional stipulation that a president could be reelected only once.In August 1967, a constitutional convention approved a new governing document that not only provided for a bicameral legislature but also established the legal means for Stroessner to run for reelection. Stroessner did so in 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, and 1988, all with only token opposition permitted. On 17 September 1980, the exiled former dictator of Nicaragua, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, who had been granted asylum by the Stroessner government, was assassinated in Asunción, and Paraguay broke off relations with Nicaragua.

During the 1980s, Stroessner relaxed his hold on Paraguay. The state of siege, which had been renewed every three months since 1959 (with a partial suspension from February 1978 to September 1980), was allowed to lapse in April 1987. Opponents of the regime gave credit for the ending of the state of siege to the United States, which had kept pressure on the Stroessner administration. However, allegations of widespread human rights abuses continued to be made. In April 1987, Domingo Laíno, an opposition leader exiled in December 1982, who had tried unsuccessfully to enter the country on five earlier occasions, was allowed to return to Paraguay. Part of this liberalization may have been in response to mounting criticism from the Roman Catholic Church, whose position moved closer to that of the various dissident groups.

Paraguay’s next two centuries were dominated by Jesuit missionaries, whose efforts to protect the Amerindians from Portuguese slave traders and Spanish colonists resulted in one of the most remarkable social experiments in the New World. Shortly after the founding of Asunción, missionary efforts began. The priests organized Guaraní families in mission villages (reducciones) designed as self-sufficient communes. Amerindians were taught trades, improved methods of cultivation, and the fine arts, as well as religion. Above all, they were protected from exploitation by the Spanish colonists, who sought to exploit them. As the settlements prospered and grew in number to around 30 (with over 100,000 Amerindians), the jealousy of the colonists sparked a campaign to discredit the Jesuits. Eventually, the King of Spain became convinced that the order was trying to set up a private kingdom in the New World, and in 1767, he expelled the Jesuits from the New World. Once they had left, the reducciones disappeared. As for the Spanish colony at Asunción, it dominated the area of the Río de la Plata throughout this period. However, in 1776, when Buenos Aires became the capital of the new viceroyalty of La Plata, Asunción was reduced to an outpost.

In achieving independence, Paraguay first had to fight the forces of Argentina. Buenos Aires called on Paraguay in 1810 to follow its lead in a virtual declaration of independence. Paraguay declared independence from Spain but rejected the leadership of Buenos Aires. An Argentine expedition was decisively defeated, and Paraguay completed its move toward independence by deposing the last of its royal governors in 1811.

Since then, Paraguay has been dominated by dictatorships or near-dictatorships. The first and most famous of the dictators was José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (known as “El Supremo”), originally a member of the five-man junta elected in 1811 to govern the newly independent nation. He was granted full dictatorial powers for three years in 1814 and thereafter had the term extended for life. Francia attempted to cut Paraguay off from all contact with the outside world. Commerce was suspended, foreigners were expelled, relations with the papacy were broken off, and an anticlerical campaign was begun. All criticism was stifled, and a widespread spy network was developed. However, at the same time, Francia was honest and tireless in his devotion to his personal concept of the country’s welfare. Francia governed until his death in 1840. Today, he is regarded as Paraguay’s “founding father.”