The Presidency of the Republic of Paraguay issued a statement this Tuesday, September 22, denying that a theft occurred at the official residence, Mburuvicha Róga. The note classifies the reports as false and states that no actual event took place within the premises that affected operational normality, while President Santiago Peña is in the United States to attend the UN General Assembly.
Despite the official denial, unofficial sources consulted by ABC Color reported that the Presidential Escort Regiment (REP) is investigating a possible lock tampering incident in the main bedroom of the residence, which connects to the president's walk-in closet. According to these accounts, the incident allegedly occurred the previous Saturday, exploiting blind spots in the surveillance cameras. The internal investigation is led by Lieutenant Colonel Abilio Giménez, head of REP Intelligence, with interrogations of military security personnel under the supervision of General Alcides Lovera, head of the Military Cabinet. Sources also mention warnings of demotions and transfers to Viñas Cué prison, along with expectations of a formal inventory after Peña's return.
The episode reignites debate over the "Los Sobres del Poder" scandal. In 2025, Luz Maribel Candado, former coordinator of services at the residence, denounced being irregularly subjected to polygraph tests alongside her husband and minor son, following the discovery of envelopes containing US$200,000 in cash. The amounts were found between October 2024 and February 2025 and handed over by Candado directly to the president on June 17, 2025. She was fired on July 24, followed by relatives Liliana and Fabrizio Romero, who were also hired by the Civil Cabinet.
Opposition Senator Rafael Filizzola (PDP) used the Senate's ordinary session to question resource management at the presidency. He argued that the discussion should not be limited to who might have stolen the money, but must investigate the origin and reason for the existence of large sums of cash at the official residence. "What is cash doing in the presidential residence?" the legislator asked, demanding transparency regarding the handling of public and private funds at the location.
Filizzola also criticized the government's "Paraguay Gigante" advertising campaign, pointing out a contradiction between communication spending and the alleged lack of resources for health and education. Furthermore, the senator reinforced his demands regarding the Central Bank of Paraguay's (BCP) oversight of Ueno Bank, questioning the regulatory body's capacity and calling for changes in the entity's management to avoid risks to savers and public coffers.
Finally, Filizzola condemned the recent meeting between Santiago Peña and Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president, held on September 19 at the Miraflores Palace. The parliamentarian contrasted this diplomatic rapprochement, aimed at restoring relations broken in January 2025, with the ruling party's reaction to earlier statements by Senator Esperanza Martínez about the Venezuelan elections. "They almost burned Esperanza Martínez alive here," Filizzola stated, criticizing the government's foreign policy.