Ultima Hora

Senator Gustavo Leite proposed reducing public spending by up to US$400 million a year, including an incentivized voluntary retirement program for up to 100,000 public employees, merging redundant agencies and freezing hiring. The figures and effects are Leite’s projections, and implementation still depends on financing, executive decisions and negotiations.

The Carandayty Basin in Boquerón has an estimated gas potential of 70 Tcf, according to Giuliano Franco, CEO of Zeus Energy. The volume is not yet a proved reserve or commercial production and depends on confirmation of recoverability, feasibility and market demand.

A student from the Primera Escuela Paraguaya de Sordos asked in sign language why Paraguayans were persecuted during a morning visit to Plaza de los Desaparecidos in Asunción, where Néstor Vera explained the persecution of people demanding better working conditions and human rights during the Stroessner dictatorship; the activity, part of a three-article series on historical memory, also brought together victims and relatives, while the Truth and Justice Commission estimates around 107,987 affected relatives and records 20,090 direct victims.

The APS is preparing Paraguay’s National Opening of Soybean Planting 2026/27 and projects 3.6 million to 3.7 million hectares for the new campaign. The meeting will examine the outlook for the new cycle, which depends on weather, prices and production costs.

The National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad) seized 30 7.62 mm FAL rifles hidden beneath provisions in a pickup truck in Pedro Juan Caballero and detained two brothers suspected of preparing to send the weapons to Brazil, while Paraguay’s arms sector calls for a review of import procedures and authorizations.

Paraguayan cattle prices rose by about 22% in dollars between January and August 2026, while revenue converted into guaraníes increased by approximately 6%, according to an Appec report. The gap shows how the guaraní’s appreciation affected results in the local currency.

Argentina’s National Gendarmerie installed a gate on the La Fraternidad footbridge between Nanawa and Clorinda, restricting passage from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and drawing criticism from local officials over the impact on trade and travel and the risk of increasing clandestine crossings.

The Mercosur-EU agreement could expand Paraguayan exports and attract investment, especially in agriculture, forestry and renewable energy, but it will require certification, audits and traceability to meet European standards.

Judge Mafalda Cameron Luque ordered the auction of Asunción’s “House of Horror” for 208 million guaraníes after allegations of irregularities in the proceedings, including failure to notify the heirs and manipulation of the Judisoft system.

Meta’s nearly $17 billion U.S. deal, which limits teenagers’ use of Instagram and Facebook, has reignited debate in Paraguay over protecting minors online, as expert Miguel Ángel Gaspar calls for new laws, enforcement and greater parental control.

Five people have been formally charged over their alleged participation in using asphalt, machinery, trucks and municipal employees to pave private property. Criminal responsibility has not been established.

A doctors’ strike in Paraguay enters its fifth day with 39 pediatric surgeons threatening to resign from Monday, while the government proposes a phased 76% increase over 14 months and lawmakers disagree over funding sources.

The Paraguayan government is negotiating $1.3 billion in loans with CAF, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and JICA for infrastructure, energy and logistics projects, with $700 million earmarked for the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.

Santiago Peña has proposed turning Paraguay into a regional logistics hub by expanding the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway and the Bioceanic Corridor, improving air connectivity and modernizing institutions. The government’s goal is to gradually double the volume of river cargo.

Women account for 16% of mayoral candidacies in Paraguay’s 2026 municipal elections, up from 12.9% in 2021, while they represent 32% of registrations for Municipal Councils, according to the Supreme Tribunal of Electoral Justice, which is providing training to expand women’s political participation.

Paraguay’s attorney general and the Association of Prosecutors asked for preventive protection for Verónica Valdez and Jorge Arce after an exchange with Arnaldo Giuzzio during his trial. Giuzzio denies that he threatened them, describing the exchange as a forceful complaint about the handling of allegations involving former president Horacio Cartes.

ANDE has halted negotiations with ATOME to supply power to the green hydrogen and fertilizer plant in Villeta, deeming it unsustainable to maintain the proposed fixed tariff for 15 years, while Sitrande challenges the state utility’s reorganization and warns of risks to the electricity sector.

The Ministry of Health assigned 44 ambulances to Rally Paraguay, prompting criticism over the temporary concentration of resources and raising questions about emergency capacity, public-resource allocation and regional event planning.

Paraguay exported 75 products to 43 new destinations between January and July 2026, including biodiesel to Singapore, in a diversification drive that generated US$5.5 million from that shipment, according to Rediex data.

Operation Mirage detained five Brazilians in La Paloma, Canindeyú, and seized weapons, ammunition, electronic devices and two vehicles reported stolen in Brazil. Police are investigating possible links to the PCC and counterfeit medicines.

Petropar has begun selling Jet A-1 and AVGAS in Paraguay, with one plant operating in Encarnación and plans for five facilities through a public-private partnership that does not require direct state investment in infrastructure.

Paraguay’s national doctors’ strike suspended nonurgent consultations and surgeries for a second day as the National Medical Union demands pay increases, job stability and better conditions, while the government and Congress seek negotiations amid budget constraints.

Paraguay has 111 missing minors, with most adolescents missing due to voluntary runaways from family conflicts and most children missing due to custody disputes between parents.

The Asunción Municipal Board approved preliminary plans for 11- and 18-story towers in residential neighborhoods under an exceptionalities regime, while opposition councilors warn the recurring practice worsens infrastructure collapse, with 85% of the capital's streets past their useful life, and blocked a third 25-story project in Recoleta.