Two years after the first public complaint, the promissory note mafia continues to challenge the Paraguayan justice system. Thousands of victims, mostly public servants, are still waiting for a judicial response that brings them relief. The scheme, which involves the fraudulent issuance of credit instruments, has already led to the loss of savings and properties, but the accused continue to benefit from procedural maneuvers.
Recently, members of the Senate Special Commission met with victims in Ciudad del Este. Senators Rafael Filizzola, Esperanza Martínez, Yolanda Paredes, and Rubén Velázquez, accompanied by Mayor Daniel Pereira Mujica, heard complaints about debts already paid that are still being collected. The local government committed to supporting the investigations.
In Ciudad del Este, the parliamentarians identified new variations of the scam. One case involves an agricultural company that, even after ceasing operations, allegedly sold promissory notes worth about US$ 200 million. The documents would be in the possession of a North American financial institution without registration or taxation in Paraguay. In another variation, rural producers who used promissory notes as credit guarantees had the instruments traded with financial institutions even after settling their obligations. “They will leave us on the street for a debt that is not ours,” lamented one of those affected.
While the victims wait, the accused try to delay the process. Lawyer Zully Ortiz, along with the owners of Vanessa y Asociados SA, Mirtha Elizabeth Metel and Julio César Paiva, accused of criminal association and fraud, have already managed to suspend the hearing three times. The case revealed serious flaws in the system: unregistered case files in statistics, lack of fee oversight, and notifications made at the same time in distant cities. For example, on May 2, 2024, a bailiff made notifications in Ciudad del Este, Minga Guazú, Santa Elena, and Capiatá, all at 3:00 PM. In another case, an employee went on a true tour: on January 10, 2024, at 10:30 AM in Capiatá, at 10:40 AM in Pedro Juan Caballero, at 12:15 PM in Presidente Franco, at 12:20 PM in Ypané, at 12:25 PM in Villeta, and at 12:30 PM in Emboscada.
The Law for the Sanitation of Executive Courts, enacted last year, mandates the suspension of attachments when case files are missing. However, victims report that various case files reappeared in the Peace Courts of San Roque, Asunción, and Luque, allowing irregular deductions to continue.
According to data from the Senate Special Commission, 79% of victims are public employees, 6.1% are retirees, and only 9.3% are private sector employees. Among public servants, 40% are from the Ministry of Education. The impunity of those responsible, the affected say, is an insult to their struggle.