Armed leftist guerrillas claimed responsibility for kidnapping a Paraguayan rancher and demanded a $5 million ransom, while police said two officers investigating the case were gravely wounded.Fidel Zavala, 48, was abducted by about a dozen gunmen from his ranch near the Brazilian border Thursday.
Two policemen who encountered his vehicle abandoned in the jungle the next day were severely injured by exploding grenades at the site.
Interior Minister Rafael Filizzola said Friday that the EPP, a radical arm of the Patria Libre party, is "a criminal organization" that threatens public safety.
He insisted that it does not pose a threat to the state, but acknowledged that Paraguay's internal security is weak, particularly in remote areas.
President Fernando Lugo called off a planned appearance at a summit of leftist presidents in Bolivia to monitor the case, his spokesman Augusto Dos Santos said.
There were 14 high-profile kidnappings in Paraguay between 2007 and 2008, nearly all without claims of responsibility, and none of the culprits has been apprehended.
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