ABC Color

Paraguayan courts have definitively confiscated Darío Messer’s assets, including companies, real estate, vehicles, livestock and accounts, while prosecutors investigate seven offices in Hernandarias transferred to Banco Atlas through a trust.

Ueno Bank expanded its public deposits in Paraguay to US$862 million in July, capturing US$52 million in one month and sparking debate about limits for state funds in financial institutions, while denying irregularities and rebutting criticism about its investments and intangible assets.

A SENAD agent was convicted for attempting to leak confidential data on trafficker Sebastián Marset, while another agent from the same institution denies extortion accusations in a separate case.

Data from Paraguay's Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (MTESS) show that the majority of informal workers (57%) and micro-enterprises (54.2%) earn below the minimum wage, a scenario that is reversed in formal employment, where 71% of salaried workers receive above-minimum compensation.

Economist Jorge Garicoche states that Paraguay, which attracts low-scale foreign investments mainly in plastics and textiles, needs more stable rules in infrastructure and energy to capture larger and impactful projects, remaining a strategic destination for Brazilian entrepreneurs.

The President of Paraguay will present his annual management report to the National Congress on July 1, fulfilling a constitutional obligation aimed at transparency and accountability of the Executive branch to the Legislature, with no penalties for non-compliance.

The 2026 school winter break in Paraguay will remain scheduled from July 13 to 24, with no changes despite the World Cup, after the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) concluded that the Paraguayan national team's night matches did not interfere with classes, and the tournament's key decisions will coincide exactly with the recess period.

Paraguay's net international reserves reached USD 11.46 billion in June 2026, a 16.3% increase compared to January 2025, according to data from the Central Bank of Paraguay.

The removal of Zulma Díaz Penayo from the Education Ministry's universities directorate has widened into a broader debate over oversight, accreditation and transparency in Paraguay's higher education system.

Formal employment in Paraguay reached a record high in May 2026, with 842,023 private-sector wage earners contributing to the general regime of the Social Security Institute (IPS).

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Paraguay unanimously decided to keep the interest rate at 5.50% per year, amid a scenario of inflation below the target, a projected growth of 4.2% for 2026, and monitoring of external risks such as oil prices and the United States' monetary policy.

Paraguay's financial system saw a 36% increase in credit operations over 16 months, with loans accounting for more than half of the total in May 2026.

President Santiago Peña ruled out declaring a holiday on Friday, the 26th, for the Albirroja's match against Australia, scheduled to start at 11 p.m. on Thursday and end in the early hours, but said he is still considering the possibility of holidays if the team advances in the competition.

The Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) reported 145 fake teaching degrees to the Public Prosecutor's Office following an internal audit that identified around 1,500 diplomas of questionable authenticity, while experts suggest the scheme could be much larger and attribute the problem to credentialism and the lack of oversight by the National Council of Higher Education (Cones).

Five months after it came into force, the National Unified Registry (RUN), created by Law 7424/25 and which merged the General Directorate of Public Registries, the National Cadastre Service, and the Department of Surveying and Geodesy under the Supreme Court of Justice, has yet to deliver the operational efficiency it promised, according to representative bodies of Paraguayan notaries. They point to a lack of real integration between databases, the persistence of separate procedures, longer processing times — from around 10 calendar days to up to 15 business days or more — and risks associated with the physical transfer of files between offices.

The Estudio de Arquitectura aquino+, led by architect César Aquino, won two consecutive international tenders and was commissioned to design and build the first two H&M stores in Paraguay—one at Paseo La Galería and the other in the Distrito Perseverancia neighborhood, both in Asunción.

Ajupem called for the incorporation of 20,600 contracted employees into Paraguay's Caja Municipal to address the financial crisis that is preventing the full payment of retirement benefits and pensions.

Liberal Congressman Freddy Franco criticized the bill passed by the Senate that regulates the use of cell phones in schools, arguing that the restriction would represent a technological setback for Paraguay and hinder access to knowledge and the development of talent.

Users of 39 bus lines in Asunción and the metropolitan area can now transfer free of charge to the E1, E2, and E3 electric lines within a 120-minute window, with up to two connections at no cost, under the Universal Integration and Transfer Plan implemented by the MOPC's Vice Ministry of Transport in December 2025.

Mass resignations of professionals in the Neonatology Department at the IPS Central Hospital threaten the continuity of the service. Management is proposing public calls for foreign doctors to fill the vacancies.

The IPS Board of Directors unanimously approved a private godparent sponsorship proposal presented by board member Mirtha Arias to improve the conditions, considered precarious and inhumane, of shelters for relatives of hospitalized patients. A pilot plan will be implemented after discussions with pharmaceutical chambers and the institution's suppliers.

The Paraguayan Senate is reviewing on Wednesday, the 16th, a bill authored by Senator Lilian Samaniego that proposes the so-called "express divorce," allowing couples with mutual agreement to divorce directly before a judge, without the need for lawyers or payment of court fees and legal costs.

The dollar fell again in Paraguay and was quoted at G. 6,120 in the spot exchange rate on Monday, the 15th, accumulating a 9% decline so far this year and 25% over 12 months, which has raised concerns among exporters and impacted customs revenue.

The National Doctors' Union of Paraguay has announced a national strike in the public health sector from August 24 to 28, with emergency services remaining operational but scheduled appointments and surgeries suspended, demanding a salary adjustment after nearly 15 years of minimal wage corrections.