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Derlis VillagraParaguayan revolutionary, typographer
Date of Birth: 16.01.1940
Country:  Paraguay |
Content:
- Derlis Villagra: A Paraguayan Revolutionary
- Imprisonment and Torture:
- Continued Struggle:
- Exile and Return:
- Final Days and Mysterious Death:
Derlis Villagra: A Paraguayan Revolutionary
Early Life and Activism:Derlis Villagra was born in Piribebuy, Paraguay, into a communist workers' family in 1936. At the tender age of ten, he joined the underground resistance movement, becoming a member of the Communist Youth Federation at 14. Enrolled in a printing apprenticeship, Villagra pursued his education at the National College's evening program and led the patriotic student organization, "Center 23 October."
Imprisonment and Torture:
Villagra's activism caught the attention of authorities, leading to his first arrest at 18 for organizing student protests. Subjected to torture, he was sentenced to exile in a Chaco desert concentration camp. However, public outcry forced his transfer to a civilian prison. After his release, he was continuously monitored and re-arrested in 1959. Detained in solitary confinement for two months, Villagra shared a cell with Communist Party leaders before escaping from the fourth police station.
Continued Struggle:
Undeterred, Villagra joined the Paraguayan Communist Party in 1961 and was elected General Secretary of the Democratic and Revolutionary Student Federation. His involvement led to numerous arrests, including an escape attempt that left him severely injured and ill with asthma. Released through the intervention of world youth organizations, he was later re-arrested and imprisoned in the notorious Tacumbú concentration camp.
Exile and Return:
Thanks to Soviet advocacy, Villagra regained his freedom on November 7, 1972. He travelled to the Soviet Union, where he recounted his experiences in Tacumbú. Returning to Paraguay in 1974 under an assumed name, Villagra became a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee and its youth wing. He established an underground printing press, publishing the young communists' newspaper, "Patria Nueva" ("New Homeland").
Final Days and Mysterious Death:
In November 1975, Villagra and over 150 members of the Communist Party were arrested during a crackdown by the Stroessner dictatorship. His wife, Celsa Ramírez, gave birth to their son, Derlis, while they were imprisoned. Along with other communist leaders, Villagra staged a 15-day hunger strike to protest inhumane conditions. They were subsequently transferred to the Emboscada concentration camp.
Villagra's fate remains unknown. His body was found in the Paraguay River near the port of Villeta in the summer of 1980. The exact date of his murder is estimated to have occurred between December 6 and 8, 1975. Derlis Villagra stands as a symbol of the struggle against oppression in Paraguay, a life dedicated to revolution and the pursuit of a just society.
