Basilio “Bachi” Núñez, president of Paraguay’s National Congress, commented on the ongoing investigation involving the so-called La Red Desinformante, a network allegedly responsible for a smear campaign with hundreds of attacks against journalists and opponents of Santiago Peña’s government. The campaign is said to have been funded by government advertising budgets managed by the Colombian agency Digimarketing SAS, which also handles official social media advertising.
Among the evidence revealed is a cellphone linked to Yecika Bracho, whose residence coincides with the Argentine agency Azafrán SA, which provided services for the ASU 2025 Games and is connected to Alejandra Duarte, deputy minister at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (Mitic). Additionally, Juan Roberto “Jimmy” Villaverde, identified as the operator of the smear campaign, was an employee of Mitic—a fact denied by Minister Gustavo Villate and Deputy Minister Duarte themselves, raising further suspicions of government involvement.
When questioned about the case, Núñez stated that if it is proven the campaign was orchestrated by the government, it would be wrong, whether against journalists or political opponents. “For me, it’s wrong if it was done from the Government, since I am someone who has personally suffered from this,” he said.
Regarding the Colorado Party’s internal elections scheduled for June 7, Núñez highlighted that the Honor Colorado movement, led by former president Horacio Cartes, is well-established after more than fifteen years of activity, both in government and opposition. The senator pointed to Camilo Pérez, the Honor Colorado pre-candidate for mayor of Asunción, as a candidate with no electoral ceiling, capable of attracting votes from the capital’s population, making him the “opposition’s fear.”
Núñez also noted that Arnaldo Samaniego, another Colorado candidate, has strengths but his weakness lies in the list of councilors supporting him. Furthermore, the senator criticized Mario Abdo Benítez’s influence on the party’s dissident faction, calling him the “marshal of defeat” and stating that his presence harms the group’s electoral performance.
The president of Congress said that after the primaries, it is essential to promote dialogue and a “republican embrace” among the party’s factions, regardless of the outcome. He also denied any weakening of the Cartismo movement and emphasized that defections usually occur toward the ruling party, not the opposition.
Finally, Núñez took responsibility if Camilo Pérez loses the primary and promised to respond, together with his lawyer, to criticisms regarding appointments and contracts of employees linked to Villa Hayes, his political base.