Guairá

The Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) carried out a protection operation in the early hours of May 18 that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este. Three were without an adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were sent to the Centro Abierto Refugio. The rest were taken back to their communities in the departments of Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná, after undergoing medical inspection by the Mobile Clinic of the Ministry of Health.

In the early hours of May 18, the Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) coordinated an inter-institutional operation that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, in the department of Alto Paraná. Three minors were without adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were taken to the MINNA Open Shelter Refuge by court order. The others underwent medical examinations and were sent back to their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.

The National Police of Paraguay arrested Daniel Pereira Medina, 31, as the fifth suspect in the homicide of German citizen Olga Brodkorb, which occurred on April 26, 2026, in the Planchada community, Paso Yobái, Guairá department. The arrest was carried out this Monday (18) by agents of the Guairá Regional Crime Investigation Department, under the order of prosecutor Rocío Raquel Rivas. With this capture, the number of detainees in the case rises to five, including Juan Alberto Rodas García, Eleno Fonseca, Venancio Trinidad González, and Darío Aguilar Saucedo. The investigation indicates that the group, described as amateur criminals, allegedly planned a robbery at the victim's residence, but the plan went wrong when Brodkorb unexpectedly returned, resulting in a fatal confrontation. The victim was killed with a gunshot to the head. After the crime, the suspects fled with the victim's car, a white 2023 Chevrolet Onix Joy, which was found incinerated on a rural road near Arroyo Morotí. During previous searches, police seized more than 17 million guaranis in cash, a .22 caliber rifle, cell phones, motorcycles, and clothing. Authorities do not rule out further arrests.

The Ministry of Children and Adolescents (MINNA) coordinated an action that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, amid cold and danger. Three adolescents were unaccompanied, and an indigenous woman with seven children was taken to a shelter. The group will be reintegrated into their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.

Over the weekend, the National Police of Paraguay transferred women deprived of liberty from six mixed-gender penitentiaries to the Emboscada Women's Prison Complex as part of Operation 'Umbral 2.5'. The transfer occurred without incidents, with support from the Armed Forces and police escort in stages. The Ministry of Justice has not yet disclosed the exact number of detainees transferred.

In Villarrica, a Saturday in May marked the National Day of the Paraguayan Pedagogue and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ramón Indalecio Cardozo. The celebration included the inauguration of the first street library in the department of Guairá, installed in Plaza de los Héroes, with books donated by the community. Basic School No. 114 Ramón Indalecio Cardozo participated with artistic performances, and director Ada Marlene Bogado highlighted the educator's legacy as a tool for social transformation.

Criminals intercepted a tanker truck on route PY10 in Tebicuary and stole 27 thousand liters of vegetable oil. The driver was tied up and the cargo, which was traveling from Caaguazú to Villeta, was taken. The National Police are investigating the case as aggravated robbery.

The National Audiovisual Institute of Paraguay (INAP) and the Municipality of Villarrica signed a two-year cooperation agreement to foster the audiovisual industry and film culture in the department of Guairá, with a free Paraguayan film week planned starting in June.