News

Strengthening substance use in prison settings was the focus of a meeting between ISSUP and Paraguay’s Ministry of Justice.

The meeting brought together Rubén Maciel Guerreño, Vice Minister of Criminal Policy; Fátima Cabrera, Director General of Cabinet; María del Pilar Acosta, Director of the Higher Technical Institute for Penitentiary Education and Training (ITSEFP); and psychologist Lilia Palacios, ITSEFP’s technical representative.

A visit to Paraguay’s National Police Anti-Narcotics headquarters provided an opportunity for ISSUP to discuss drug trafficking challenges and the training needs of frontline officers with Commander Mario Vallejos.

Empowering young people to take an active role in their communities was at the centre of discussions between Paraguay’s Minister of Youth, Salma Agüero, and representatives of ISSUP.

Bárbara Correa, ISSUP’s National Chapters Regional Coordinator for Latin America and Spain, and Francisco Javier Giménez Duarte, Director of ISSUP Paraguay, joined the Minister to discuss opportunities to support youth leadership in substance use prevention.

ISSUP met with Dr. Saúl Recalde, Paraguay’s Vice Minister of Comprehensive Health Care and Social Welfare, to discuss opportunities to strengthen substance use prevention, treatment and care within the health system.

Discussions highlighted the importance of developing programmes that respond to the needs of the Health Ministry staff, including workplace substance use prevention, and promoting coordinated approaches across health services.

ISSUP met with Vice Minister of Internal Security, Commissioner General Director Commander Carlos Humberto Benítez Gonzalez, at Paraguay’s Ministry of the Interior, to explore opportunities for international cooperation on substance use and drug related issues.

ISSUP Paraguay and the Norberto Bobbio School of Government and Public Policy are conducting a course titled "Police Intervention and Coordination with the Health Network for Addressing Individuals in Mental Health and/or Psychoactive Substance Use Crises." This course is designed for 300 officers from the Paraguayan National Police and comprises 100 hours of instruction.

As part of the Prevention pillar of the SUMAR Plan, more than 850 teachers have completed training in the Prevention of Psychoactive Substance Use. They will now serve as active ambassadors in this initiative by the Government of Paraguay, which promotes a culture of awareness and rejection of drugs.

The Closing of the CHILD Training "Interventions for Boys, Girls and Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders" was held in the Emperatriz II Room of the Excelsior Hotel.

UTC CHILD/ PLAN COLOMBO Model, organized by the ISSUP Paraguay Chapter, through the Host Organization, the Norberto Bobbio School of Government, with the support of CICAD, OAS, ISSUP Global and Colombo Plan.

ISSUP Paraguay, a través de la organización anfitriona, la Escuela de Gobierno Norberto Bobbio, implementa el entrenamiento en el currículum CHILD con los primeros profesionales en el tratamiento para niños, niñas y adolescentes con trastornos por el uso de sustancias en Paraguay.

ISSUP Paraguay chapter, through the host organization, the Norberto Bobbio School of Government, enables training in the CHILD curriculum to the first professionals in the treatment of boys, girls and adolescents with substance use disorders in Paraguay.