Alto Paraná

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) monitors the advance of a new cold front that could cause agrometeorological frosts in soybean and second-crop corn producing regions, especially in the south and southeast of the country. So far, no damage has been recorded, but temperatures near 3°C already pose a risk to sensitive crops.

The Government of Alto Paraná awaits the closure of the Regional Penitentiary of Ciudad del Este to build a new National Police headquarters on the site, addressing complaints from residents of the Boquerón neighborhood about security and contamination.

The Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) carried out a protection operation in the early hours of May 18 that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este. Three were without an adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were sent to the Centro Abierto Refugio. The rest were taken back to their communities in the departments of Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná, after undergoing medical inspection by the Mobile Clinic of the Ministry of Health.

INE data show that 85.4% of Paraguayans aged 10 or older used the internet in the past year, up from 81.6% in 2024. Young people lead, women outpace men, and Asunción has the highest rate (90.9%). Despite progress, inequalities persist between urban and rural areas.

The Municipal Council for Children and Adolescents (Codeni) of Presidente Franco, Alto Paraná, has extrajudicially notified the parents of three children who refuse to vaccinate them against measles and other preventable diseases. The Family Health Unit of the San Miguel neighborhood reported the case after exhausting attempts at dialogue. If the situation is not regularized, the case will be forwarded to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Public Defender's Office, potentially resulting in mandatory vaccination or a penalty of up to three years in prison for violation of the duty of care.

In Presidente Franco, Alto Paraná department, a father refused to vaccinate his three children against measles, raising concern among health authorities. The director of the Tenth Health Region, Federico Schrodel, and the head of the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI), Sergio Cetrini, warn that misinformation can lead to outbreaks of the disease, which is highly contagious and has already been reported in neighboring countries. The Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Codeni) was notified and may sue the father for breach of duty of care.

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) reported that 85.4% of Paraguayans aged 10 or older used the internet in the last evaluated period. Young people aged 25 to 29 lead with 97.1%, while inequality between urban areas (88.2%) and rural areas persists, with San Pedro and Caazapá recording the lowest rates.

Paraguay's Attorney General, Emiliano Rolón Fernández, removed Jorge Sosa García from the position of deputy prosecutor for Area X of the Alto Paraná department after three years of performance considered inefficient. The measure, formalized by Resolution No. 1652, aims to reorganize the Public Ministry and takes effect on May 26, 2026. The replacement will be Celso José Sanabria González, who previously served in Ñeembucú. The decision comes less than a month after Rolón Fernández's visit to Ciudad del Este, where he participated in an international prosecutors' meeting and met with local authorities. The Alto Paraná Regional Prosecutor's Office faces a backlog of cases, lack of infrastructure, and complaints from lawyers about slow investigations.

The president of IPS, Isaías Fretes, announced a complete audit of the social security institution's properties, aiming to identify the actual number of real estate assets, who rents them and for how much, with the goal of increasing transparency and combating possible irregularities.

In the early hours of May 18, the Ministry of Childhood and Adolescence (MINNA) coordinated an inter-institutional operation that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, in the department of Alto Paraná. Three minors were without adult reference; a repeat offender woman and her seven children were taken to the MINNA Open Shelter Refuge by court order. The others underwent medical examinations and were sent back to their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.

The Departmental Directorate of the National Police in Itapúa sent 30 agents from the Special Operations Group (GEO) from Asunción to reinforce bank security in the northeastern region of the department, following a thwarted robbery attempt on Friday, May 15, in Capitán Meza. The preventive action comes after intelligence indicated a possible attack on a bank branch during the extended Independence and Mother's Day holiday.

Deputy Luis “Tiki” González Vaesken, of the dissident Colorado movement Añeteté, defended the need to strengthen oversight systems at polling stations for the upcoming elections, amid doubts about the reliability of voting machines supplied by the Comitia-MSA Consortium, which had previously been disqualified in an earlier tender.

The Ministry of Children and Adolescents (MINNA) coordinated an action that removed 42 indigenous children and adolescents from the streets of Ciudad del Este, amid cold and danger. Three adolescents were unaccompanied, and an indigenous woman with seven children was taken to a shelter. The group will be reintegrated into their communities of origin in Guairá, Caazapá, and Alto Paraná.

Paraguay's Ministry of Health has vaccinated more than 420,000 children aged 1 to 5 against measles and rubella, reaching 90% of the national target. While Ñeembucú and Paraguarí achieved 100% coverage, the departments of Central, Asunción and Alto Paraná register the lowest rates, between 83% and 85%, threatening herd immunity. The campaign ends on May 29.

Operation Omega, a coordinated action among nine countries, resulted in the arrest of a lawyer in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná, suspected of being part of an international network for the sale and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that used cryptocurrencies for transactions. Prosecutor Ruth Karina Benítez led the execution of a search and seizure warrant, which seized electronic equipment, documents, and digital storage devices. Investigations are underway to determine whether the scheme also involved local production of the material and money laundering.

A lawyer was detained this Monday (18) in Santa Rita, Alto Paraná, during Operation Omega, an international action against child sexual exploitation. He is suspected of storing, distributing, and selling child sexual abuse material, receiving payments in cryptocurrencies. The investigation, which began in 2019, analyzed over 35,000 files and may lead to further arrests abroad.

Paraguay's Ministry of Justice executed operation "Umbral 2.5", transferring about 225 women from six prisons to the new Women's Penitentiary Complex in Emboscada, Cordillera department. The action aims to centralize the female prison population and improve detention conditions.

A 19-year-old woman reported being assaulted in the neck by a 44-year-old man after refusing a hug at a soccer field in the 4th neighborhood of General Artigas. The suspect, Gustavo Brítez Benítez, turned himself in to police and was detained.

With expectations of a record flow of visitors during winter break, the business sector of Ciudad del Este demands the full opening of the Puente de la Integración. Diplomatic negotiations with Brazil are stalled over demands for strict migration controls, while the city prepares for an economic boom that could generate up to 50,000 new jobs.

Two violent robberies were recorded over the weekend in the Department of Alto Paraná. In Juan León Mallorquín, a motel employee was held up by two armed men; in Ciudad del Este, five criminals invaded a residence and stole electronics and cash. Police seized ammunition at the scene of the second crime.

Sol Aramí Brizuela Báez, from Ciudad del Este, graduated Summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from Tufts University in Boston. During the ceremony, she displayed the Paraguayan flag and greeted those present in Guaraní.

A preventive patrol by the 19th Police Station in Mayor Otaño, in the early hours of Sunday, triggered a chase and shooting that resulted in the death of one man, the arrest of another, and the seizure of two vehicles carrying a load of marijuana. The incident occurred in the Parejha colony.

INE data released on World Telecommunications Day show that 85.4% of Paraguayans aged 10 or older used the internet in 2025, with highlights for women, young people, and urban areas.

In the early hours of Sunday, Paraguay's Ministry of Justice executed Operation Umbral 2.5, transferring 109 women deprived of liberty from the Juana María de Lara Women's Penitentiary Center in Ciudad del Este to the Emboscada Women's Penitentiary Complex (COMPLE). The action, which lasted just over an hour, involved a strong security scheme and is part of the reorganization of the prison system, which also includes the relocation of pregnant women and mothers with young children to the Serafina Dávalos Penitentiary Center in Coronel Oviedo.

Over the weekend, the National Police of Paraguay transferred women deprived of liberty from six mixed-gender penitentiaries to the Emboscada Women's Prison Complex as part of Operation 'Umbral 2.5'. The transfer occurred without incidents, with support from the Armed Forces and police escort in stages. The Ministry of Justice has not yet disclosed the exact number of detainees transferred.

The department concentrates nearly half of the national revenue in the sector, driven by infrastructure and construction works.

Brazil's Federal Court sentenced drug trafficker Lindomar Reges Furtado to 37 years in prison for leading an organization that exported more than six tons of cocaine to Europe. Furtado had escaped in 2022 during Operation Turf in Paraguay and was captured in 2025 in Rio de Janeiro.

Between April 2025 and April 2026, the Social Security Institute (IPS) expanded its protected population by 63,456 people, totaling 1,666,595 insured individuals. Asunción, Central, and Alto Paraná concentrate more than 80% of the insured, reflecting the formalization of employment in the country's main economic hubs.

Paraguay's Electoral Justice has already verified 3,928 ballot boxes for the simultaneous internal elections on June 7, focusing on materials and documents. The process continues until May 20, covering all departments, while municipal elections are scheduled for October 4, 2026.

Paraguay's onion production faces climate-related delays but promises profitability, while the basalt industry, led by Alto Paraná, posts strong economic figures.