Social and peasant organizations have called for a national mobilization this Thursday, July 23, to protest against power cuts and the high cost of electricity in Paraguay. The demonstrations are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. simultaneously in front of the headquarters of the state electricity utility ANDE in Asunción and its regional offices across the country.
A key demand is the immediate suspension of service cuts to vulnerable families. Protesters argue that electricity is an essential service that should not be cut off for the poorest sectors of the population, especially in a context of rising living costs.
Another central demand is the expansion of the social electricity tariff. Organizers state that a bill for this purpose, submitted via a popular initiative with over 48,000 signatures, has been awaiting analysis in Congress since April 2025. They argue that the measure is crucial to ease the monthly expenses of thousands of low-income households.
Criticism is also directed at the tariff benefits granted to large energy consumers, such as cryptocurrency mining operations, artificial intelligence data processing centers, and hydrogen projects. For the groups involved, the current energy policy prioritizes these electro-intensive industries to the detriment of residential consumption and citizen well-being.
The mobilization is promoted by a coalition of organizations, including Itaipú Causa Nacional, Itaipú es También Soberanía, the Paraguay Pyahurã Party, ANDE Pueblo Mba'e, the Paraguayan Peasant Movement, and the National Coordinator for Older Adults and Families. The protest date coincides with the 17th anniversary of the Lugo-Lula Agreement on Itaipú, a milestone the organizations consider an opportune moment to reopen the debate on the country's energy sovereignty.