The President of Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies, Raúl Latorre, strongly criticized Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for his statements about the War of the Triple Alliance. During a political event, Lula justified increased Brazilian military spending by stating that "one fine day, Paraguay decided to invade Brazil," referring to the conflict that took place between 1864 and 1870.
In a response published on social media, Latorre accused Lula of speaking "with excessive levity about the greatest tragedy of our history and the greatest genocide of our continent." The lawmaker recalled that the war, which began with Brazil's military intervention in Uruguay, left Paraguay devastated and forever scarred the country. He also highlighted the heroism of Paraguayan women in the national reconstruction, quoting Pope Francis, who called them "the most glorious women of America."
Latorre further questioned the Brazilian president's tone when discussing armed conflicts, recalling a previous statement by Lula about resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine "over a cold beer." "Today you once again speak lightly of armed conflicts in America; if you have run out of jabuticaba fruit, we can send you some," the deputy quipped, concluding with the reflection: "We know the true value of peace, because we paid for it with our blood."
Other lawmakers expressed their support for Latorre. The Colorado Party deputy Rodrigo Gamarra argued that regional integration must be built on truth and mutual respect, not on one-sided accounts. Meanwhile, opposition deputy Rubén Rubin condemned Lula's remarks and announced he will present a bill to include the commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of the Triple Alliance in the national calendar, in addition to demanding the return of war trophies held by Brazil.
Meanwhile, lawyer Cecilia Pérez Rivas, granddaughter of a veteran of the Chaco War, criticized the lack of an official response from the Paraguayan government. In a statement, she questioned the "total silence" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other authorities, contrasting it with the patriotic rhetoric often used by the ruling party. "Our fallen heroes did not die to adorn an inauguration speech or an airplane's paint job. They died defending a sovereignty that today, when it truly needs defending, finds no one to represent it," she stated.
Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential candidate in the October 2026 elections, also commented on the case, advocating for a firmer stance from the Paraguayan government and classifying Lula's declarations as a historical distortion.