Chaco

The Paraguayan government is accelerating plans to diversify its energy matrix with natural gas, solar, and wind projects to prevent the depletion of its electricity surplus by 2030.

A cold air mass is bringing the coldest nights of the week to Paraguay, with temperatures potentially dropping to 3°C in the south and a risk of frost, according to an alert from the country's Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH).

An air mass from the polar region brought the coldest early morning of the year to Paraguay on Wednesday, June 24, with temperatures dropping below 0°C and reaching as low as -1.4°C in the department of Boquerón.

The department of Alto Paraguay runs the risk of being merely a bystander to the Bioceanic Corridor due to a lack of basic infrastructure, such as passable roads, drinking water, and electricity, while Boquerón attracts private investment in the region.

The construction of an international bridge between Humaitá, in the department of Ñeembucú, Paraguay, and Las Palmas, in the Argentine province of Chaco, is moving forward as a physical integration initiative with the potential to boost trade, logistics, and tourism between the two countries.

Senave has ordered the mandatory elimination of all live soybean plants during the phytosanitary fallow period, which in the Western Region runs from June 15 to September 15 and in the Eastern Region, exceptionally this year, from June 20 to August 30, as a preventive measure against Asian soybean rust.

Construction works on the future Chaco General Hospital, which will benefit around 150,000 people in the Western Region, are progressing through the foundation phase, with 70% of earthworks completed and the first 22 piles already installed. The project is being carried out by the Western Health Consortium, which includes a firm linked to Grupo Cartes, under the supervision of the MOPC and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, with funding from Itaipú Binacional. The consortium's links to Grupo Cartes and related procurement controversies have been reported.

The Tooshe Qaltaq indigenous community of the Qom people is threatening to block Route PY12 if the state does not acquire land for the families that have lived for more than four decades on the right-of-way strip belonging to the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.

The soybean harvest in the Paraguayan Chaco reached an average yield of 2.4 tonnes per hectare, approaching the Eastern Region, which recorded an average of over 3 tonnes per hectare, with total Paraguayan production estimated at 12.34 million tonnes for the 2025-26 cycle.

Paraguay and Bolivia completed in December 2025, after 87 years of technical and diplomatic work, the full demarcation of the 742 kilometers of shared border between the two countries, becoming the only nations in South America with fully demarcated borders.

The El Niño phenomenon is expected to reach Paraguay between July and August, bringing heavy rains, high temperatures, and flood risks, with government agencies already working on preventive measures.

The Argentine provinces of Corrientes and Chaco have declared a temporary ban on all forms of surubí fishing in a shared stretch of the Paraná River, aiming to protect the species during a period of mass aggregation of fish. The Paraná River forms the Paraguay-Paraná waterway, which is of major importance to Paraguay's trade and ecology.

ANDE's low electricity tariffs, among the cheapest in the world, are preventing the growth of residential solar energy in Paraguay, making the injection of surplus power into the grid financially unattractive in the short term.

Isaías Fretes, president of the IPS, acknowledged on Friday that the institution is going through a critical liquidity and medicine shortage crisis, attributing the collapse to past administrations and stifling bureaucratic processes.

The Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) forecasts that cold weather will persist across Paraguay through the weekend, with an increasing chance of rain starting Friday. Lows are expected to range from 6°C to 14°C, and highs from 15°C to 21°C, depending on the region.

Work by Luc Capdevila and Nicolás Richard gathers documents and accounts about the military occupation of indigenous territories in the boreal Chaco between 1910 and 1960. Launch takes place on May 26 at the Museo del Barro in Asunción.

President Santiago Peña enacted Decree No. 6034/2026, regulating Law No. 7599 on Non-Conventional Renewable Energies, breaking the state monopoly on electricity generation. ANDE has issued the tender for the first international solar energy auction in the Chaco, with a capacity of 140 MW, to be installed in Loma Plata.

Paraguayan and Argentine authorities are pushing forward the regularization of a new international crossing point at Curupayty, which will reduce travel time between Humaitá and Las Palmas (Argentine Chaco) to 10 to 15 minutes, with potential to relieve the congested Clorinda border post and boost the economy of Ñeembucú.

The Directorate of Meteorology of Paraguay forecasts a Saturday, the 16th, with temperatures between 22°C and 27°C, scattered rain and electrical storms, especially in the north and east of the country. There is a risk of hail and winds up to 80 km/h. Instability should persist on Sunday, with a sharp drop in temperatures starting Monday.

Paraguay's most important gastronomic fair, Gastronomik 2026, returns with a focus on innovation, sustainability and business for the HORECA sector. Event manager Carla Núñez says this edition seeks to be a turning point for the local industry, under the concept "#MásAlto".

The director of Meteorology and Hydrology of Paraguay, Eduardo Mingo, forecasts an autumn with thermal oscillations and intense cold, especially in the Chaco, where lows reached 3°C. For winter, the trend is a transition to the El Niño phenomenon, which could raise temperatures, but uncertainty persists.

Paraguay's Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology issued a special warning this Saturday (16) for moderate to severe electrical storms, with intense winds and possible hail, affecting the north of the Eastern Region and sectors of the Chaco.

Starting this Monday (18), Paraguay records a gradual drop in temperature, with highs between 16°C and 19°C in the Eastern and Western regions. The most intense cold is expected between Tuesday (19) and Wednesday (20), with lows from 6°C to 10°C. Isolated rain occurs in the north of the country, but no precipitation is forecast for the other days.

The president of the Social Security Institute (IPS), Isaías Fretes, announced an asset audit to map the agency's more than 800 properties. Preliminary estimates indicate that the IPS receives only 20% of the amount due in rents, generating huge losses. The investigation, coordinated by Minister Alberto Cabrera, will also cover the control of medicines and supplies.