The Vázquez Group, whose main bank received billions in public deposits from the social security institute IPS, expanded rapidly during the Peña administration, while the bank defends the legality of the operations.
Esperanza Martínez
Pytagua coverage mentioning Esperanza Martínez.
The scandal involving fake university degrees in Paraguay, with over 250 confirmed frauds and suspicions surrounding 1,500 more, has exposed a structural crisis in higher education that has led to government intervention in universities and triggered investigations by Congress and the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies rejected the request for an audit of the Peace Courts related to the alleged promissory note usury scheme, and the bill was referred to committees for review due to questions over its wording.
The House of Representatives postponed for 15 days the analysis of a bill that provides for the payment of default interest to construction companies for halted public works, after lawmakers raised concerns about legal issues and the high fiscal cost.
The Senate of Paraguay has set up a special commission to investigate an alleged scheme involving approximately 100,000 irregular university degrees issued between 2023 and 2025, of which roughly 60% correspond to programs lacking quality accreditation. The first institution under investigation is Universidad Sudamericana, the alma mater of former senator Hernán Rivas.
The Senate of Paraguay established a Special Investigation Commission on Monday, June 15, to investigate the issuance, sale, and use of allegedly fake or irregular university degrees, diplomas, and higher education certificates. This follows the scandal involving Universidad Sudamericana, which is believed to have issued around 2,500 irregular degrees over three to four years, a case that led to the resignation of former senator Hernán Rivas.
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.
The Paraguayan Senate passed on Tuesday, June 2, the bill declaring a national road safety emergency for one year, authorizing the ANTSV to adopt exceptional measures for the prevention and enforcement of traffic accidents, including the use of automated speed cameras and radar systems, despite opposition criticism over the lack of technical studies and the broad powers granted to the agency.
Brazilian citizen Antonio Ademir Andrioli, 72, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted murder after shooting Carlos Manuel Martínez at a car dealership in Ñemby in June 2020. The sentence was handed down unanimously by the Trial Court, which considered evidence presented by prosecutor Lourdes Bobadilla.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance has called drug suppliers to a meeting this Wednesday, while the Senate postpones a vote on a bill that expands the credit assignment mechanism. The state's debt to the health sector exceeds US$1 billion.
With 11 pre-candidates for mayor in Ciudad del Este and a new coalition in Villa Hayes, Paraguay's 2026 municipal elections promise clashes between old clans, a fragmented opposition, and the Yo Creo movement, which seeks to hold onto the power it won in 2019.
Senator Esperanza Martínez denounces resistance from the ruling party to the creation of a special commission to investigate up to 2,500 suspected university degrees, following the scandal of former senator Hernán Rivas that exposed a possible fraud network that may have benefited public office holders, including within the justice system.
The promissory note mafia, a scam scheme that has lasted two years, remains unpunished. Victims, mostly public employees, denounce judicial delays and new types of scams, such as the sale of promissory notes from closed companies and the non-return of documents after debt settlement. Senators and the mayor of Ciudad del Este met with those affected, but the justice system has not advanced.