The case known as Banco Atlas–Conmebol–Leoz has been stalled since April, while the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice has yet to rule on a recusal motion filed against members of the Specialized Court of Appeals for Economic Crimes and Organized Crime. Against this backdrop, the Senate approved a statement on September 29 expressing concern about the delay, prompting debate over the constitutional limits on parliamentary statements about an ongoing court case.
Presented by Senator Dionisio Amarilla, the text was approved without debate in less than a minute, with votes from different caucuses. The statement says the delay affects the regular progress of the case, while clarifying that it does not assess whether the recusal should be granted, assign criminal responsibility, or seek to prejudge the Supreme Court’s decision.
While the motion remains pending, the appeals court cannot consider the appeals awaiting review. The steps required for the trial court to schedule the preliminary hearing are also blocked. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has already filed charges and asked for the case to proceed to trial.
Those charged include Miguel Ángel “Miki” Zaldívar, president of Banco Atlas, and members of its board of directors. The prosecution alleges that they engaged in money-laundering operations involving funds from illicit activities attributed to the late former Conmebol president, Nicolás Leoz. The allegations have yet to be considered by a court.
The controversy concerns Article 248 of Paraguay’s Constitution, which reserves the adjudication of contentious cases to the judiciary and bars members of the other branches of government from exercising judicial powers, halting proceedings, or intervening in trials. The provision also makes acts of this kind incurably null and bars anyone who attacks judicial independence from holding public office for five years, in addition to any penalties provided by law.
The approved text maintains that the statement is an institutional expression of concern about the delay and does not interfere with the judges’ decision. Rafael Filizzola argued that the statement could pressure the Supreme Court and contravene Article 248. Eduardo Nakayama also called for the vote to be reconsidered; the request was not put to a vote because there was no quorum. Filizzola and Ever Villalba announced that they intended to propose revoking the statement, which remained in force.
In a separate item during the extraordinary session, brought forward ahead of the October 4 municipal elections, the Senate approved in a separate vote a request for information from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MITIC) about the “Soy Paraguayo, Soy Gigante” campaign, known as “Paraguay Gigante.” Rafael Filizzola’s request seeks information on the materials created and published—including videos, radio ads, graphic materials, digital content, promotional items, stands, and outdoor advertising—as well as the campaign’s contracting and implementation data.
According to the request, MITIC is to provide information about the suppliers, agencies, and media outlets involved, along with their respective Taxpayer Identification Numbers (RUC), and the amounts contracted, spent, and paid, itemized by type of expense. The request also asks about funding sources, including the National Treasury, its own resources, and funds or agreements related to Itaipu Binacional, the Itaipu Technological Park, and Yacyretá, as well as the total cumulative cost and any amounts not yet spent.
The request also seeks contracts, service orders, proof of performance, certificates, and acceptance records, as well as the technical and regulatory criteria used to select agencies and media outlets and allocate advertising. For ads on Meta Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, and X, it requests monitoring reports and metrics on reach, impressions, and clicks.