Minga Guazú

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Minga Guazú is a district of the department of Alto Paraná, Paraguay. It forms part of Greater Ciudad del Este. It is was formerly known as "Colonia Presidente Stroessner," but was changed after the fall of the dictator Alfredo Stroessner.

[edit] The name

Its name derives from the Spanish word "minga," which means "cooperative work for improvement" and the Guaraní word "guasu," meaning big. These two words together mean Big Work in Community, more or less.

[edit] History

Minga Guazú was born and grew due to labor of the Salesians of Don Bosco, led by the priest Guido Coronel, the founder of the town. In the mid 1960s, Coronel decided to build a city 20 kilometers away from the border with Brazil. The center of the city, however, is located 16 kilometers away; the development at 20 kilometers is second in population.

[edit] Facilities

• Known as the "Industrial Capital" of Paraguay, this town hosts the greatest Cooperative Association in Latin America, also the biggest part of oil ndustry of Paraguay: a branch plant of the multinational Cargill.
• The district is also the home of the Guaraní International Airport, the second biggest airport of the country after the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque (suburb of the capital Asunción).
• The Germanic Association of Alto Paraná has its head office in Minga Guazú, probably due to the German immigrants who work in the agricultural sector.
• The Taiwanese government invested in the city, promoting the installation of Parque Industrial Oriente.