Cartismo

Paraguay marks the 20th anniversary of the death of dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled the country for 35 years until being overthrown by a coup in 1989, with a memory that still divides the country.

President Santiago Peña completes three years in government in Paraguay with economic growth, attainment of investment-grade status, and an increase in foreign investment, but faces a growing fiscal deficit, rising public debt, and structural challenges in areas such as tax collection, pension reforms, and institutional fragility.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña denied payment to foreign influencers in the country, highlighted the attraction of digital nomads and investments in infrastructure and security, but documents reveal the government allocated $1.5 million for campaigns with influencers until 2027, in addition to defending the Social Security Institute (IPS) and avoiding comment on Horacio Cartes' Senate candidacy.

The campaign of Asunción mayoral candidate Camilo Pérez, which celebrates its team unity, includes public officials such as a deputy minister and a former presidential social media operator in its WhatsApp group for the press, raising questions about the use of state resources.

President Santiago Peña and former President Mario Abdo Benítez greeted each other with a hug during a reception at the U.S. Embassy in Asunción, a gesture described by Nicanor Duarte Frutos as a civic act of party unity, while Abdo Benítez downplayed its political nature.

Congressman Roberto González has accused the Minister of Education, Luis Fernando Ramírez, of appointing 916 interim teachers without the proper qualifications, citing specific cases, while only 798 tenured teachers from the Eligible Database were made permanent.

The trial of former senator Hernán Rivas, accused of using a fake law degree to register as a lawyer and preside over the Magistrates Impeachment Jury (JEM), was postponed for 20 days at the request of his new defense team.

The Asunción Municipal Board approved the 2025 budget, which covers both the previous and current administrations, amid criticism from the opposition, which labeled the decision a "whitewashing" of a government targeted by corruption allegations.

A judge in Curuguaty, previously recused from the case, ordered a repossession that benefits a mayoral candidate and affects a chia plantation and an indigenous community established decades ago.

Paraguayan congressional leaders were recorded on an open microphone discussing opposition lawmaker Raúl Benítez, who accused the conversation of revealing "mafia codes," while the ruling party dismissed it as a mere anecdote.

Former Senator Sixto Pereira, from the Tekojoja party, stated that Paraguay is currently experiencing "the government of the mafia and organized crime," recalling the 14th anniversary of the removal of then-President Fernando Lugo on June 22, 2012, through a political trial in Congress. He emphasized that this political situation has significant implications for foreign investors, diplomats, and regional observers due to the resulting political and economic instability affecting business and international cooperation.

Asunción is facing a fiscal crisis following the diversion of more than G. 500 billion from the G8 bond, originally intended for stormwater drainage works, during the administration of former mayor Óscar "Nenecho" Rodríguez. Meanwhile, the current administration under Luis Bello is paying contractors with current municipal revenue, while residents endure poor public services, including potholed streets that cause accidents, inconsistent garbage collection, and chaotic traffic.

Cartista senators have introduced a bill expanding the powers of the Comptroller General's Office to fine, prosecute, and take legal action against agencies that fail to comply with the Transparency Law (No. 5189/2014). The proposal amends Articles 8 and 9 of the law so that noncompliance constitutes an enforceable instrument and authorizes agreements with the Ministry of Finance for the collection of fines.

Senator Esperanza Martínez threatens to leave the Senate special commission investigating the "degree mafia" if there is no genuine investigation free from political interference, after the Cartismo movement appointed Patrick Kemper to chair the body.

Former Senator Kattya González announced that she will present her case at the 56th OAS General Assembly, in Panama City, in June 2026, and warned of authoritarian risks in Paraguay, criticizing the Cartes movement and the concentration of power.

A leaked audio recording reveals that Cartismo senator Javier Zacarías Irún negotiated a position at the Itaipu Binacional entity for the brother of a political operative in exchange for electoral support in Ciudad del Este.