Alto Paraná

Nineteen Paraguayans, including two minors, were rescued from slave-like labor conditions on a cassava farm in Paraná following an international tip-off. They were subjected to exhausting workdays, inhumane living conditions, and restrictions on their freedom.

Three drones were spotted flying over the Minga Guazú prison, which saw a foiled escape attempt a week ago, prompting police to carry out preventive patrols in the area.

The Paraguayan financial system is facing a security crisis marked by digital attacks that have drained accounts and created fraudulent loans, in addition to violent bank robberies, including explosions in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná, with the possible involvement of security agents.

The influx of Brazilian students into Ciudad del Este is boosting the local economy with over $14 million monthly, but rising rents are displacing Paraguayan residents from traditional neighborhoods, sparking a housing crisis.

Scientists from IICS-UNA have completed the first genomic mapping of the superbug MRSA in Paraguay, identifying three predominant genetic families and multiple resistance and virulence genes never before recorded locally, particularly in pediatric patients.

Paraguay is on alert for severe storms with hail and strong winds, with warnings issued by the Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology for several departments throughout the weekend, with forecasts of continued rainfall and storms across much of the national territory, including Asunción, on Monday.

Residents of Foz do Iguaçu and Presidente Franco are complaining about noise pollution caused by powerful sound equipment on the Paraguayan side, which crosses the Paraná River and disrupts rest along the border, despite a police enforcement operation that was carried out without continuity.

The department of Alto Paraná has established itself as the main stage for major heists in Paraguay over the past twelve years, with criminal organizations adopting paramilitary tactics inspired by the "Nuevo Cangaço," including the most recent attack in Santa Rita, where around 20 criminals stole approximately 3 billion guaraníes from banks and exchange houses.

Paraguayan producers reduced the wheat cultivation area in 2026 in the regions of Alto Paraná, Itapúa, Caaguazú, and San Pedro due to low profitability, high production costs, and competition with soybeans and corn.

A group of about 20 heavily armed men simultaneously attacked four financial institutions in Santa Rita, in the Alto Paraná department, using explosives to empty the vaults of two banks, overpowering four police officers, and setting vehicles on fire during their escape. Authorities are investigating the possible involvement of a criminal network made up of Paraguayans and Brazilians, without ruling out the participation of the PCC.

Paraguay has reported 12 confirmed cases of dengue and one of chikungunya in the past three weeks, bringing the total to 261 dengue cases and 16 chikungunya cases in 2026, including three imported from Bolivia.

The Paraguayan real estate market kicked off 2026 with growth driven by a projected GDP of 4.2%, the achievement of investment-grade status by Standard & Poor's, and strong demand for rentals, which accounted for 53% of searches on the InfoCasas Paraguay portal, with Asunción concentrating 70% of that demand and two-bedroom apartments being the most sought after, while access to housing credit remains the main challenge for 38% of respondents.

Paraguay's economy remains heavily concentrated in a few regions, with five areas — the departments of Central, Asunción, Alto Paraná, Itapúa, and Caaguazú — accounting for more than 70% of the country's production, formal employment, and business structure, according to an analysis by researcher Belén Servín from the Center for Analysis and Dissemination of the Paraguayan Economy (Cadep).

The Municipality of Ciudad del Este ordered the preventive closure for three days of an electronics store belonging to JMC Emprendimientos S.A. (J.M. Electrónicos), located in the city's downtown area, following repeated complaints of alleged fraud against Brazilian tourists. In one case, two Brazilians reportedly paid around 97,000 reais via Pix and received only 30% of the purchased products, while in another case involving 22,500 reais, a salesperson was charged with fraud.

The Municipality of Ciudad del Este has issued a tender to revitalize the Alejo García, Agustín Van Aaken, and Chino parks with an investment exceeding G. 64.8 billion, aiming to transform them into recreation centers, social integration hubs, and tourist attractions.

UNESCO declared Ñacunday National Park and the Moisés Bertoni Scientific Monument as part of the Upper Paraná South Biosphere Reserve in Paraguay during the 38th session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme.

The Dirección de Meteorología e Hidrología of Paraguay has issued a warning for a storm system that will affect the entire Paraguayan territory between Wednesday, the 10th, and Thursday, the 11th. The system will bring heavy rain, lightning, the possibility of hail, and wind gusts of up to 100 km/h. The northern part of both the Eastern and Western regions will be the most affected, with rainfall totals between 60 and 100 millimeters.

A Brazilian company has signed an agreement with the municipality of Itakyry, in the department of Alto Paraná, to retrofit the local ethanol plant, which has been idle for over a decade, and produce ethanol from corn instead of sugarcane, with operations expected to resume before the end of the year.

The Paraguayan Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology has issued a warning for storms with winds of up to 80 km/h, heavy rain, lightning, and hail starting Sunday, with the phenomenon affecting 14 regions of the country through Monday night.

The Electoral Court began distributing 16,582 electronic ballot boxes and election kits on Sunday, May 31, for the June 7 simultaneous primary elections, with shipments by land, river, and air to various departments of Paraguay, coordinated by the National Police, Military Forces, and Public Prosecutor's Office.

Expert questions Paraguay's sovereignty in the Yguazú Digital project, a mega artificial intelligence center with Taiwan that will use energy from Itaipú, warning that the country will have no control over hardware, algorithms, or significant job generation.

The president of the Paraguayan Congress, Basilio "Bachi" Núñez, described the display of degrading messages and images on an LED screen in the primary zone of Ciudad del Este, near the Puente de la Amistad, as an "affront to dignity" and demanded an investigation to determine responsibility.

The Public Prosecutor's Office has requested the preventive detention of a 19-year-old Brazilian citizen, a migration consultant, accused of stealing a notarial seal from Escribanía Amarilla in Ciudad del Este, based on security footage that recorded the crime on May 25.

Producers in Alto Paraná are forecasting a record corn harvest and export volumes, provided no frosts occur by mid-June, after crops overcame initial water stress with no reported pest infestations.