Opposition lawmakers harshly criticized the Comptroller General's Office (CGR) report on the asset evolution of President Santiago Peña, labeling the document a "whitewash" of the head of state's finances. The report, submitted to the Public Prosecutor's Office on Monday, concluded that there were no irregularities in the increase of the president's wealth, but it did not analyze the period between 2017 and 2023, when Peña held no public office and his assets grew by approximately 20 billion guaranis.
During the regular session of the Chamber of Deputies, PLRA lawmaker Adrián "Billy" Vaesken stated that the findings of the audit amounted to a "whitewash" and caused profound damage to the country. "They have no idea how much harm they are causing the nation by covering up and enabling impunity," he declared. Vaesken highlighted that Peña is the only Paraguayan to have increased his wealth by 1,600% in just five years, according to sworn statements submitted to the Comptroller General's Office itself.
The deputy also criticized the stance of Comptroller General Camilo Benítez, noting that he had already publicly stated on television programs that the president was innocent and that his asset growth was consistent. "We already knew what his response would be," Vaesken asserted, also citing the recent dismissal of charges against former senator Hernán Rivas by the Judiciary as part of a broader pattern of protection.
Along similar lines, Guillermo Rodríguez, a deputy from the Yo Creo party, mocked the conclusions of the oversight body. "Let's pretend he has always been a wealthy man, highly skilled in finance, and that everything he owns is the result of his sharp financial acumen, perhaps because he invested in Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies," he said. Rodríguez rejected the notion that this wealth is unrelated to alleged embezzlement in government programs such as Che Róga Porã and Hambre Cero, or to the misuse of resources from public and binational entities.
The legislator lamented that society has normalized the presence of "highly unqualified individuals flaunting high-ranking positions in binational entities," referring to million-dollar salaries awarded to political operatives without competitive selection processes. He also mentioned the recent scandal involving an audio recording attributed to Senator Javier Zacarías Irún, brother of Itaipu's Director-General, Justo Zacarías Irún. "If they want to do favors, let them do so in the private sector, not in a binational entity. They want us to believe that Paraguayan citizens must pay for the Colorado bourgeoisie, for the untouchables, for the feudal lords," Rodríguez concluded.