Paraguay’s Comptroller General’s Office (CGR) fined 27 former lawmakers from the last legislative term — nine ex-senators and 18 ex-deputies — for failing to meet the deadline for submitting their sworn asset declarations. The financial penalties range from approximately 5 million to over 29 million guaranis, depending on the length of the delay.
Among the sanctioned ex-senators, the only one from the ruling party, the National Republican Association (ANR, Colorado Party), is Martín Arévalo, currently an advisor to the Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY). Four ex-senators are from the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) — all substitutes who took office during the term: Octavio Schatp, Daniel Villordo, Abel González, and Daniel Rojas López. Another four represent the so-called third space: Gilberto Tony Apuril (Hagamos), Fernando Lugo (Frente Guasú), Pedro Arthuro Santa Cruz (Progressive Democratic Party, PDP), and Georgia Arrúa (Patria Querida).
In the Chamber of Deputies, most of those fined are from the ANR: Néstor Ferrer, Ángel Paniagua, Nazario Tomás Salvioni, Del Pilar Medina, Freddy D’Ecclesiis, Édgar Espínola Guerrero, Hugo Ibarra, Ulises Quintana, Rubén Balbuena, and Miguel Cuevas. Of these, Ulises Quintana was granted alternative measures to pretrial detention in April to await trial outside Tacumbú prison. Miguel Cuevas, sentenced to five years in prison for illicit enrichment in February 2023, is still awaiting a decision from the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court on an appeal for cassation, which prevents the sentence from being carried out.
The fined ex-deputies from the PLRA are María de la Nieve López, Eri Valdez, Carlos Antonio Noguera, Esmérita Sánchez, Andrés Rojas Feris, and Manuel Trinidad. From the third space, Sebastián García and Jorge Brítez appear.
According to the CGR’s Open Data portal, three of the 27 former lawmakers have still not submitted their sworn declarations after leaving Congress: Eri Valdez (PLRA), Miguel Cuevas (ANR), and Jorge Antonio Brítez (independent opposition). The highest fine, over 29 million guaranis, was applied to seven ex-deputies: Eri Valdez, Ángel Paniagua, Édgar Espínola, Rubén Balbuena, Miguel Cuevas, Antonio Noguera, and Jorge Brítez.
Paraguayan law requires every public official to submit two sworn declarations — upon taking office and upon leaving it — within 15 business days after each event. Non-compliance results in a fine of 20% of the salary for every 30 days of delay, which can reach up to 100%.