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.
Partido Cruzada Nacional
Agrupación política paraguaya que busca mantener su posición como tercera fuerza en las elecciones municipales.
The Paraguayan Senate's regular session, scheduled for 9 a.m., lacked a quorum, leading to an extraordinary session with less room for debate. Senator Walter Kobilansky (National Crusade) proposed fines or restrictions for lawmakers who arrive late, while the President of Congress stated that the rules do not provide for financial penalties.
On June 7, in addition to choosing candidates for mayors and councilors, ten Paraguayan political groups will hold internal elections for president and other party authorities. The PLRA, the largest opposition party, has seven candidates for the presidency; the PEN has two. Most parties present a single slate.
Prosecutor General Emiliano Rolón replaced Deputy Prosecutor Soledad Machuca as head of UDEA with Nancy Salomón. Machuca, accused of shelving a complaint against former Senator Hernán Rivas, faces proceedings before the JEM and was called a "black monk" by Senator Yolanda Paredes.
A photograph of former goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert alongside Cartist candidate Hugo Farías has sparked speculation about a possible withdrawal of Chilavert's candidacy for mayor of Luque. Chilavert denies leaving the electoral race, but the episode has reignited criticism of his role in the opposition.
The departures of Norma Aquino, Javier "Chaqueñito" Vera, Hernán Rivas, and Erico Galeano from the Paraguayan Senate, amid corruption scandals, fake degrees, and criminal convictions, reveal the erosion of the political shield of the ruling Cartismo faction and the power of citizen and media pressure.
The Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates (JEM) has not reviewed the complaint against deputy prosecutor Soledad Machuca since October 2023. She is accused of shelving the investigation into the allegedly fake law degree of former Colorado Party senator Hernán Rivas. The accusation, filed by deputies from the National Crusade Party, was nearly dismissed in August 2025, but a request from Supreme Court Justice Manuel Ramírez Candia suspended the decision. The case has not been rescheduled since.