Amid low temperatures, 42 indigenous children and adolescents were rescued on Monday afternoon near the Ciudad del Este Bus Terminal. The operation was coordinated by the Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (Minna), with support from the local Codeni, the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute (Indi), the Government of Alto Paraná, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the National Police.
The children were on cold sidewalks, covered with worn blankets, exposed to begging at traffic lights. According to lawyer María Graciela Sánchez of Codeni, families collect up to 300,000 guaranis per day begging. “Who wouldn’t feel pity?” she asked.
Among those rescued, an elderly woman from Central was accompanied by seven minor children — she had previously been approached in Fernando de la Mora. Three children were without a responsible adult. All underwent medical evaluation before transfer.
The group was taken back to their home communities in Caazapá, Guairá, and some locations in Alto Paraná. The mother with seven children was sent to the Minna Open Shelter in Ciudad del Este while protective measures are defined.
However, the cycle repeats. “They take 15 to 20 days to return, because this area is highly commercial and has a lot of cash flow,” Sánchez explained. Families rent rooms for 40,000 guaranis per day; when they cannot, they sleep under tarps on vacant lots or in the area of the Permanent Fair.
Codeni reported that the situation borders on child exploitation and violation of the duty of care, potentially constituting a crime. The Ciudad del Este municipality maintains a shelter for adults at the School of Arts and Trades, and Codeni has a temporary shelter for street children. Municipal workers also distribute warm clothing on the streets to those who refuse shelters.