The decision by the Specialized Court for Organized Crime to order the pretrial detention of former senator Erico Galeano represents a blow to the culture of impunity that for decades protected certain political figures in Paraguay. Galeano, a former member of the National Republican Association (ANR, Colorado Party), was sentenced in March to 13 years in prison for money laundering and criminal association, as part of Operation A Ultranza Py, which investigates a drug trafficking network with regional ramifications.
The case transcends the former legislator's personal situation. For nearly two years, the Cartista leadership used parliamentary maneuvers to shield him, including the approval of a controversial forum regime later declared unconstitutional. The Senate also granted Galeano an indefinite leave days after the conviction, postponing his expulsion. The president of the Upper House, Basilio Núñez (ANR, HC), stated that "justice has acted" but avoided commenting on the Cartistas' role in protecting the former senator. "For those who say the judiciary is controlled by the Cartistas, here is another example," Núñez declared, in an attempt to distance the party from the judicial decision.
Galeano's trajectory illustrates the normalization of ties between politics, business, and organized crime. Indicted in May 2023 for alleged involvement in the sale of a US$1 million property to a person linked to the criminal structure, he managed to remain in Congress until political wear and international pressure made his stay untenable. Senator Celeste Amarilla stated that "there are still several Erico Galeanos inside Congress," echoing a perception that the political system still harbors figures with similar suspicions.
The episode raises questions about the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms and the willingness of institutions to act against corruption. Although the arrest does not represent a final conviction, it signals that political immunity is no longer as impenetrable as before. The reputational and political cost of protecting figures under suspicion has become too high, even for sectors historically accustomed to managing scandals without consequences.