Camara De Diputados

Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies will consider on September 15 bills to unblock compensation for children of victims of Alfredo Stroessner’s dictatorship and restore symbols associated with the regime, as well as proposals on sports inclusion for neurodivergent people and increased penalties for facilitating prisoners’ escapes.

The Senate approved changes that would broaden the possibility of removing and auctioning abandoned vehicles in Paraguay after six months without a claim, but the bill returned to the Chamber of Deputies and is not yet in force.

The Chamber of Deputies declared the protection of Médanos del Chaco National Park a matter of national interest, while a proposal to allow the exploration of possible hydrocarbons in the area remains under consideration, opposed by the MADES environment ministry and the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute.

The Senate approved changes to a bill that would provide for up to six years in prison and financial compensation for false accusations, sending it back to the Chamber of Deputies as critics warn that it could discourage legitimate complaints.

Raúl Latorre said Hernán Rivas presented himself as a lawyer to represent the Chamber of Deputies on the JEM. Hugo Estigarribia said a final conviction could prompt an examination of decisions if Rivas’s vote was decisive.

Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies completed only eight of the year’s 41 sessions because of a lack of quorum, leaving bills unvoted, and is preparing changes to its rules to enforce pay deductions and penalize absent lawmakers.

Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies is preparing changes to its internal rules to enforce deductions of G. 300,000 for tardiness and G. 600,000 for unjustified absences, review attendance monitoring and limit flexible justifications after repeated quorum problems.

Paraguay’s Chamber of Deputies approved a World Bank-linked USD 1 million grant for preparatory studies for Itapúa’s logistics infrastructure and transport project. Separately, it is considering a request to question MOPC Minister Claudia Centurión after the Pedrozo crash that killed six people, but the initiative is likely to be rejected by the majority.