Mariscal Estigarribia

Mariscal Estigarribia, Mariscal José Félix Estigarribia long name, is a village in the department of Boqueron Paraguay. It is located near the border with Bolivia, has about 2,500 inhabitants and a military airfield. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Pilcomayo, for which the Santa Maria cathedral was consecrated in 2000. In the former cathedral of San Miguel on the military grounds is the grave of popular missionary and bishop Pa'i Puku.

During the Chaco War, there was - at that time still called Fortin Camacho - an important military base. It was until 1973 the capital of the department of Boqueron.

The place became in 2005 the public eye as a potential future U.S. military base after decided in a treaty of the United States with Paraguay immunity for American soldiers, extended the permit for here temporarily stationed U.S. troops to 18 months and the number of to 13 joint military maneuvers participating U.S. soldiers has been increased.

The military airport, Aeropuerto Dr. Luis Maria Argana Internacional (IATA Code: TSG ) is designed to accommodate a large number of soldiers, has an extraordinary radar system, huge hangars and an over-sized for the aircraft of the Paraguayan Air Force runway of 3800 m length and 80 m wide.

The strategic importance of the military base is derived from its proximity to Bolivia with its natural gas and oil reserves, its proximity to the Acuífero Guarani, one of the three largest drinking water reservoirs around the world and its proximity to the tri-border region of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.

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