The Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (Mitic) issued an alert about fraudulent text messages promising a fake 'Bono Mujer' of G. 600,000, aiming to steal victims' personal and financial data.
Paraguay
Opposition lawmakers in Paraguay criticize Comptroller General Camilo Benítez, claiming he uses an alleged gap in Law 5189/14 to avoid sanctioning agencies that do not disclose employee salaries, such as binational entities. They point to selectivity in audits and complicity with the Cartes/Peña government.
Paraguay's Public Ministry has charged suspended peace judge Carmen Analía Cibils and former judge Nathalia Garcete in two new cases related to the scheme known as the 'promissory note mafia'. The accusations include malfeasance, document forgery, and false notifications, expanding the scope of the investigation that was already in the oral trial phase.
The San Lorenzo City Hall states that the internal bus fare remains at G. 2,800, per municipal ordinance, but users report that transport companies are already charging G. 3,500. The City Council did not authorize the adjustment, and a request for a tripartite meeting made by transporters in April was not processed in time.
Peace Judge of La Encarnación, Analía Cibils, and former Peace Judge of La Catedral, Nathalia Garcete, have been charged again by the Paraguayan Public Prosecutor's Office for alleged malfeasance and use of false documents, as part of the scheme known as the 'Promissory Note Mafia'. The accusations also include actuaries, court clerks, and representatives of credit companies.
Arnaldo Andrés Lezcano Ramírez, 20, was detained by the National Police after punching referee Jorge Junior Villalba Ortíez in the face, causing a cheekbone fracture. The assault occurred at the end of a match of the Liga Caaguazú de Futebol, at the Club 8 de Diciembre field in the Santa Isabel neighborhood. The player attempted to flee but was captured a few blocks away and remains at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
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.
Paraguay's Minister of Interior, Enrique Riera, denied rumors that he would return to the Senate, stating that President Santiago Peña asked him to remain in office. Riera also commented on the upcoming internal municipal elections and the ministry's stance of party neutrality.
Facing a record harvest of 29.5 million tons in the 2025/26 campaign, Argentina is experiencing a decline in wheat protein quality and is studying imports of Paraguayan wheat, recognized as an 'improver grain'. Capeco warns that the planting area in Paraguay could shrink by 10% to 15% due to lack of profitability.
The Paraguayan Public Prosecutor's Office has filed new charges against former peace judges Analía Cibils and Nathalia Garcete, as well as lawyers, court officers, and other officials, in the case known as the 'promissory note mafia'. The charges include malfeasance and falsification of public documents.
Senate President Basilio 'Bachi' Núñez rebutted criticism from dissidents of the ANR and PLRA regarding the reliability of the electronic voting system, calling it an attempt to 'open the umbrella' in the face of a possible defeat. He defended the TSJE and announced a bill to allow voters to choose up to two candidates within the same list (double unlocking).
On June 7, in addition to choosing candidates for mayors and councilors, ten Paraguayan political groups will hold internal elections for president and other party authorities. The PLRA, the largest opposition party, has seven candidates for the presidency; the PEN has two. Most parties present a single slate.
Paraguay's Attorney General Emiliano Rolón created two new specialized cybercrime units and assigned prosecutors Lorenzo Lezcano and Federico Delfino to them, amid controversies over Lezcano's conduct, who is the subject of a preliminary investigation by the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates for alleged ties to the late congressman Eulalio Gomes.
A survey by the InSight Crime foundation shows that Paraguay is no longer the central corridor for drug trafficking it was three years ago. With stricter controls and inter-institutional surveillance, cocaine seizures fell from 5.4 tons in 2024 to about 1 ton in 2025, consolidating the country as a hostile environment for criminal logistics.
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.
The Argentine group Tinku Marka, known for its fusion of ancestral and contemporary music, has announced plans for a tour of Paraguay, including cities such as Asunción, Encarnación, and Ciudad del Este. The band was awarded 'Revelation of the Night' at the 2025 Festival of the Paraguay River.
Seven siblings, aged 3 to 17, were rescued after repeated reports of abandonment by their mother in Concepción. They are under the care of their paternal grandmother, who reports a lack of clothes, shoes, beds, and mattresses, as well as the sale of the children's belongings by the mother. None of the minors have identity documents.
The Specialized Court for Organized Crime has formally received data extracted from the cell phone of Lindomar Reges Furtado, sentenced to 37 years in prison in Brazil for drug trafficking. The information will be translated and analyzed to verify a possible link with former minister Arnaldo Giuzzio, accused of aggravated passive bribery.
The Public Prosecutor's Office investigation found no evidence of sexual abuse against the 7-year-old boy killed by his mother in Lambaré, who later committed suicide. The complaint made by the woman on social media was not corroborated by exams or testimonies, and the owner of the boarding house where the tragedy occurred stated that the mother had mental health issues and had been admitted to a psychiatric center.
The Paraguayan government announced a restructuring of the female prison system, turning the Emboscada Penitentiary Complex into the country's only prison exclusively for women. The measure includes the definitive closure of the Juana María de Lara Penitentiary Center in Ciudad del Este and the elimination of mixed units in five cities.
Dass Group, a Brazilian manufacturer of brands such as Nike, Adidas, Fila, Umbro, Asics and Champion, has transferred its production line from Argentina to Paraguay, attracted by tax incentives from the Maquila Regime. The new plant, inaugurated in March, received a US$ 40 million investment. While the factory in Coronel Suárez (Buenos Aires) was closed, the unit in Eldorado (Misiones) operates at reduced capacity, generating uncertainty among workers.
Paraguay's maquila regime recorded exports of US$471 million in the first four months of 2026, an increase of US$83 million compared to the same period in 2025. The sector generated 1,154 new jobs and approved 24 new investment programs. Additionally, brands such as Fila, Umbro, Nike, ASICS, and Champion are already producing in the country, with emphasis on the partnership between Grupo Texcin and Grupo Dass.
Prosecutor Amelia Bernal detailed the failures in the investigation of a sexual abuse complaint that preceded the filicide followed by suicide in Lambaré. The victim's mother displayed contradictory behavior, tried to throw herself in front of a vehicle with her son, and threatened to jump from a roof, but the boy was rescued and handed over to an aunt. Medical exams ruled out physical and sexual violence, and the child did not attend psychological interviews, preventing the indictment of any suspect.
The president of the Social Insurance Institute (IPS), Isaías Fretes, presented this Monday (18) the results of the formulary review, identifying about a thousand products acquired unnecessarily, which expire unused. The measure aims to clean up the Health Fund's finances and redirect resources to effective purchases. President Santiago Peña reiterated support for Fretes until 2028, highlighting spending efficiency and combating evasion as priorities.
Paraguay's Appeals Court is set to rule on an appeal that could lead to the pretrial detention of former Senator Erico Galeano, sentenced to 13 years for money laundering and criminal association. The defense is trying to avoid imprisonment, while the Public Prosecutor's Office is requesting immediate detention.
On Saturday, May 17, two homicides were recorded in Cambyretá, Itapúa. A 28-year-old man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head on a rural road, and another charred body was discovered inside a burned vehicle. Investigations are ongoing.
Ronny Arnaldo García González, 19, was arrested in a wooded area behind Padre Kreusser School in the San Pedro neighborhood after being identified by security cameras and social media. With him, police found food, footwear, and a portable radio, allegedly stolen in different incidents. The court ordered his detention while investigations continue.
A 32-year-old woman was arrested in Capiatá after a police operation that resulted in assaults and the seizure of crack, a precision scale, and other items. The detainee was placed at the disposal of the courts, and the evidence was sent for forensic analysis.
The National Police of Paraguay and the Public Prosecutor's Office are conducting operations in Encarnación and Cambyretá to capture Gustavo Rubén Goncalvez Vera, the main suspect in the double homicide of Francisco Alcides Saucedo Quiñónez and Brian Ariel Lugo. During the raids, weapons, ammunition, drugs, and vehicles were seized, including a car reported stolen in Argentina. Investigations point to a possible connection with drug trafficking.
A woman killed her own son and took her own life in Lambaré, Paraguay. Family members claim the boy's father had sexually abused the child when he was 3 years old and that the case had already been reported to the authorities.
Paraguay's Ministry of Justice began Operation Umbral 2.5 this Sunday, transferring female inmates from various prisons to the Women's Prison Complex (Comple) in Emboscada. The operation, supported by the National Defense Council (CODENA), aims to centralize female incarceration. The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNP) had previously reported serious human rights violations at Comple, including prolonged isolation and lack of mental health care.
The Directorate of Meteorology forecasts a cool day for this Sunday (17), with scattered showers and the possibility of electrical storms in the Chaco, north, and east of the Eastern Region. Temperatures are expected to range between 13°C and 22°C, with winds from the south. From Monday onward, the cold intensifies, with minimums possibly reaching 7°C on Tuesday.
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.
The Paraguayan Ministry of Justice completed Operation Umbral 2.5, transferring 361 women from six mixed prisons to the Emboscada Women's Penitentiary Complex, which now becomes the country's main female prison unit. The measure aims to separate men and women, reduce overcrowding, and improve detention conditions.
Paraguay's Ministry of Justice has launched Operation Umbral 2.5, transferring female inmates to the Emboscada Women's Penitentiary Complex (Comple), in a coordinated action with CODENA and other security forces. The operation takes place under strict security measures and aims to reorganize the national prison system.
President Santiago Peña's announcement of building the world's largest artificial intelligence center in Paraguay has generated skepticism among local experts, who point to a lack of technical capacity and warn of the risk of the country becoming a mere supplier of cheap energy in a global geopolitical dispute.
Despite generating 70% of employment and moving US$ 2 billion per year, only 15% of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Paraguay have their own e-commerce channel. The national director of Entrepreneurship of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Romina Da Re, highlighted the opportunity for digitalization during the launch of the IV Expo eCommerce 2026, which takes place on May 21.
Opposition councilors of J. Augusto Saldívar denounce the Comptroller General of the Republic, Camilo Benítez, and the Deputy Comptroller, Augusto Paiva, for unblocking royalties without payment of overdue allowances. They filed an impeachment request in the Chamber of Deputies, which summoned the authorities for explanations.