In a decision that sparked strong reaction among legal experts and sectors of civil society, Paraguay's Magistrates Council opted to include prosecutor Aldo Cantero on the shortlist for judge, over Deny Yoon Pak, the prosecutor who led Operation A Ultranza, which dismantled an international drug trafficking network. The vote, held on May 16, 2026, resulted in seven votes in favor of Cantero and only one for Pak, from council member Luis María Benítez Riera.
Cantero, nicknamed 'Aldo Canta 50' after the release of audios in which he allegedly received instructions from lawyer Raúl Fernández Lippmann to indict members of the previous government, has accumulated a series of controversies. He was removed from investigations but never had his cell phone seized, and also requested the dismissal of a complaint against former senator Hernán Rivas for using a false diploma — a request later annulled by a deputy prosecutor. Additionally, Cantero indicted union leader Carolina Palacios for denouncing Attorney General Emiliano Rolón and faces a domestic violence lawsuit.
Pak, on the other hand, is described as an independent and courageous prosecutor who did not hesitate to prosecute former senator Erico Galeano, linked to former president Horacio Cartes, and who was not targeted by attacks from political sectors. His exclusion was seen as a sign that the Magistrates Council, the body responsible for selecting judges, operates as an instrument of political protection and influence peddling.
Lawyer Cecilia Pérez classified the decision as 'one of the most shameful pages' of the Council. Cantero's proposal was presented by the body's president, Gerardo Bobadilla, and supported by Alicia Pucheta, Enrique Berni, César Ruffinelli, Gustavo Miranda, deputy Édgar Olmedo, and senator Édgar López.
Critics point out that the choice reveals that a judicial career in Paraguay depends less on merit and independence and more on the ability to obey political orders. 'The Council has just demonstrated, with brutal honesty, that the Judiciary is so corrupt that it can tell public opinion: we do whatever we feel like,' said an analyst heard by the report.
Note: This article is based on a single opinion column and the allegations have not been independently verified.