Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Note on the Diocese of Alto Paraná / Ciudad del Este, 2001
On 3 February 2001, it was made public that the Holy Father had approved the change of name of the Diocese of Alto Paraná into Ciudad del Este.
Alto Paraná (Upper Paraná) is the name of the civil province in Paraguay of which Ciudad del Este is the capital. It is very unusual that dioceses are named after districts or provinces.
Before 1990, the name of the city was Ciudad Presidente Stroessner (and previous to that: Puerto Presidente Stroessner). General Alfredo Stroessner was installed as president of Paraguay after a coup of 1954. He employed torture, murder, political purges and bogus elections to remain in power for the next 35 years, until he was overthrown in 1989. It is likely that the Catholic Church, which was in open opposition to the dictator, thought it unfitting to attach the name Stroessner to a diocese.
- CT