The Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the National University of Asunción (UNA) opened a preliminary investigation into an alleged attempt to interfere with exam grades after WhatsApp conversations were made public. The inquiry was ordered on September 6, 2026, by dean Carlos Gustavo González Morel and will be overseen by legal director Guillermo Abdala.
The messages were presented by the Law School Student Center (CEDUNA) as evidence of a possible academic-favor-trading scheme involving students, student representatives and university officials. The conversations include requests to pass students or prevent them from failing, as well as references to lists containing between five and 10 names that would allegedly be sent to professors to change grades.
The name of Alejandro “Tratito” Ovelar, a student representative and son of Senator Silvio Ovelar, appears directly in the conversations. Colleagues point to him as one of the people allegedly coordinating the requests at the school’s campus on Santísima Trinidad Avenue. The accusations have not been proven, and the internal investigation is expected to gather documents and reports before reaching any conclusion.
The conversations also mention high-profile professors, including former members of the Supreme Court, public defenders and current members of the Supreme Court of Justice. The messages suggest that some teachers were considered more receptive to requests to modify assessment results, but there is so far no public confirmation that any changes took place or that the professors mentioned participated in the scheme.
CEDUNA, chaired by Nicolás Granado, held an extraordinary session and said it would take the case to the school’s administration, the Electoral Court and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The move takes into account that some of the people allegedly involved are candidates in the institution’s upcoming elections for different bodies.
Alexia Flores, also a student representative, said third parties accessed her WhatsApp without authorization and distributed private conversations. She also said that some screenshots had been edited or tampered with to harm her and target other people, a warning that will have to be considered when assessing the material’s authenticity.
The school has not announced suspensions or other administrative measures against professors or officials. The internal legal investigation is proceeding alongside any inquiries that may be conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, while the academic community awaits verification of the messages’ contents and any effect on assessments.