Tucked into a lush corner of one of the poorest regions in the world is a quickly expanding oasis for Europe’s conspiracy theorists. The 4,000-acre gated colony in Paraguay, called El Paraíso Verde, or The Green Paradise, has been drawing a steady stream of Germans, Austrians, and Swiss who are sick and tired of European COVID vaccine restrictions, according to The Guardian, which attempted to visit the refuge before being shooed away by a guard with a long gun.
The commune’s website describes the area near Caazapá as set in a “virgin jungle” of just a handful of ancient trees that are left from the primeval forest, which the owners say has been “robbed of their old noble wood trees. These were manufactured into windows, doors, roof trusses and furniture.”
The area is owned by Erwin and Sylvia Annau, who are hoping to build a community “large enough to preserve the culture of the individual ethnic groups, their language, values, as well as science and education.” The initial goal is to draw around 6,000 European immigrants to settle into a handful of small communities, they say on the website. The group didn’t immediately respond to an email from The Daily Beast for information on pricing or potential issues with the Paraguay government.
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A fancy diagram of the urban-style living under development promises each new resident the opportunity to build “his or her own paradise on his or her own property, where he or she enjoys the greatest possible freedom.”
Those freedoms include tax-free living, though there is a hint that Paraguay authorities may demand otherwise. Paraguay also recently implemented a vaccine mandate for foreign visitors by air, which has caused some potential residents to find land options into the country, according to various websites that promote the colony.
The recruitment tab of the official Green Paradise commune website asks such questions as: “Have you had enough of the preference given by economic refugees who are unwilling to integrate?” and “Are you tired of paying taxes, tax audits and tax office terror?” The owners promise potential members a break from the regulations in Europe. “Do you long for real freedom?” the owners ask. “Do you want to finally get out of the “Matrix”?”
The promotional video shows children riding horses and middle-aged women doing yoga in an idyllic forest setting. Residents will be vetted and only those who want to buck “socialist trends of current economic and political situations worldwide” and who want to be safe from “5G, chemtrails, fluoridated water, mandatory vaccinations, and healthcare mandates.” The community also says it offers a 3-D printer to help with alternative housing possibilities.
The Guardian reports the Caazapa regional hospital has only one ambulance and no ICU beds. The absence of health care may be a contributing factor as to why Paraguay has the highest per capita death rate of any other country hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A local health authority in Caazapa said they were worried about the insurgence of COVID-skeptics from Europe. “I think foreigners, wherever they’re from, should have to get vaccinated before entering the country,” Nadia Riveros, Caazapá’s head of public health, told the Guardian.
A number of conspiracy-theory blogs in Europe also advertise the commune as an alternative to the “Deep State” and “destructive governmental forces.”
