Arbitrary detention of land rights defenders; Court convicts former officers for dictatorship-era torture after decades

This update covers developments relating to the freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Paraguay from late October 2025 to February 2026.

Context

Decree expanding military role in internal security raises human rights concerns

On 24th February 2026, President Santiago Peña issued Decree No. 5,554, authorising the deployment of military forces in the eastern region of the country to address internal security challenges, including organised crime, drug trafficking and transnational criminal networks. In response, legal experts questioned the constitutionality of the measure, noting that the Constitution of Paraguay limits the role of the armed forces to national defence and does not explicitly authorise their routine involvement in internal security operations.

As documented by the European Union System for an Enabling Environment (EU SEE), civil society organisations expressed concern that expanding the role of the military may increase the risk of human rights violations, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities, where previous operations have reportedly been associated with abuses. They also warned that the decree’s broad scope and the absence of clear operational safeguards could enable disproportionate use of force and restrict civic freedoms.

The government adopted the measure following reports of a kidnapping in late February 2026 attributed by authorities to the Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo (EPP), an armed group that analysts have described as significantly weakened in recent years. Authorities also announced the decree shortly before formalising a security cooperation arrangement with the United States, reportedly including provisions similar to a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which has drawn criticism for potentially limiting the jurisdiction of Paraguayan courts over foreign military personnel and for lacking clarity regarding the duration and scope of deployment.

UPR submission highlights risks to civic freedoms

In October 2025, CIVICUS and its partners submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, a mechanism that examines the human rights records of all UN Member States every 4.5 years.

The report assesses Paraguay’s compliance with its international human rights obligations to ensure a safe and enabling environment for civil society. The submission focuses on the rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression, and highlights undue restrictions targeting human rights defenders since Paraguay’s previous UPR in 2021.

The submission raises concern over increasing attacks and hostility against civil society, particularly those working on environmental, land, anti-corruption and transparency issues. It also highlights the adoption of Law No. 7,363/2024, which imposes strict controls on non-profit organisations and threatens the independence of civil society. Civic space in Paraguay is rated as ‘obstructed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.

Association

Three land rights defenders arbitrarily detained in San Pedro

On 17th November 2025, authorities arbitrarily detained three campesino leaders, Ernesto Benítez, Rodolfo Salazar and Sixto Cabrera, in Santa Rosa del Aguaray, in the San Pedro department of northern Paraguay. The operation was led by the police’s Department of Investigations and targeted members of the Coordinadora de Sin Tierras del Norte, an organisation peacefully defending rural communities’ access to land.

According to media reports, authorities justified the detentions under the figure of “apology of crime” and alleged that the leaders had announced plans to occupy land administered by the National Secretariat for the Administration of Seized and Forfeited Assets (Secretaría Nacional de Administración de Bienes Incautados y Comisados, SENABICO). However, civil society organisations, including the Organisation of Rural and Indigenous Women (CONAMURI), and the Human Rights Coordinator in Paraguay (Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos del Paraguay, CODEHUPY), characterised the detentions as arbitrary, arguing that they reflect a pattern of criminalisation of land rights activism.

CODEHUPY also noted that the affected communities have pursued institutional and legal avenues over several years to advance agrarian reform, including proposals to allocate land confiscated from organised crime to landless families.

New decree operationalises “Anti-NGO law”

On 23rd October 2025, President Santiago Peña issued Decree No. 4806 to implement Law No. 7363 on the control, transparency and accountability of non-profit organisations. The law, enacted in November 2024 and widely referred to by civil society as the “Anti-NGO Law” or “Garrote Law”, entered into force after more than eleven months without implementing regulations, a period during which organisations reported uncertainty regarding its scope and implications. As previously reported, it would undermine the autonomy and funding of civil society organisations and potentially serve as a mechanism to silence political dissent.

The decree establishes a centralised system of registration and oversight, and requires organisations that receive or administer funds and engage in activities deemed to influence public policy to register, disclose detailed operational and financial information, and submit periodic reports within strict deadlines. It adopts a broad definition of “participation in public policies”, encompassing activities that contribute to or influence legislative processes or state programmes. As a result, a wide range of civil society organisations falls within its scope and becomes subject to excessive transparency and accountability obligations.

For example, it establishes a set of strict, cumulative compliance deadlines for non-profit organisations. Entities must register or update their information within 90 days - or 30 days for newly created organisations - from the activation of the official registration system (article 10), enrol in the national electronic invoicing system within 90 days (article 11), and submit annual reports, alongside semi-annual public disclosures of activities and funding (articles 12 and 14). They are also required to respond to official information requests within 15 working days (article 15).

Failure to comply may trigger administrative sanctioning proceedings under the applicable legal framework. In addition, public authorities must verify compliance prior to entering into agreements with organisations, meaning that non-compliance may effectively result in exclusion from public funding or partnerships (article 16), significantly affecting an organisation’s ability to operate.

Although authorities present the decree as a measure to strengthen transparency and align with international standards, civil society organisations have raised concerns about its potential impact on fundamental freedoms. In particular, the breadth of the regulated activities, the intensity of reporting requirements and the concentration of supervisory powers may enable disproportionate restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of association.

In response, on 16th December 2025, CODEHUPY and 32 civil society organisations filed an action of unconstitutionality before the Supreme Court, challenging the law. The claim argues that the legislation establishes excessive state control over the formation, functioning and financing of organisations, creating a system of permanent suspicion and enabling disproportionate sanctions that may be incompatible with human rights standards.

The organisations stated that they already comply with existing reporting, auditing and oversight mechanisms under current legislation, and therefore question the necessity of the law as a transparency measure. They further argued that it introduces elements of political control and may allow actions against organisations based on their positions, activities or advocacy work, rather than on substantiated wrongdoing.

Court convicts three former police officers of torture committed during Stroessner dictatorship

On 12th February 2026, a criminal court in Asunción, Paraguay’s capital, convicted three former police officers of torture committed during the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989), in a ruling addressing serious human rights violations from that period. Former officers Eusebio Torres and Fortunato Laspina received 25-year prison sentences, while Manuel Alcaraz received a 20-year sentence. Due to their advanced age, they will serve their sentences under house arrest with police supervision.

The case concerned the torture of Domingo Guzmán Rolón, an opposition member in exile, whom Argentine authorities detained in October 1976 and later transferred to Paraguay, in a pattern consistent with cross-border repression practices associated with Operation Condor. Authorities held him at the Department of Investigations in Asunción, a central detention and torture facility during the dictatorship, where he endured torture for a year. Rolón, who died in 2024, had filed the complaint that contributed to the proceedings leading to the convictions.

Experts and victims’ relatives described the judgment as a significant, though delayed, step towards accountability, noting that authorities issued it nearly five decades after the crimes.

Peaceful Assembly

Indigenous protest continues after police clear road blockade

On 23rd December 2025, tensions emerged in Guajayví, a rural area in San Pedro department in northern Paraguay, after the National Police cleared a road blockade on Route PY08, a key national highway, where Indigenous communities had staged intermittent protests to demand state assistance.

Riot police units led the operation, which triggered a brief confrontation, although Indigenous leaders prevented escalation by urging protesters to remain peaceful. Following the clearance, around 150 Indigenous people remained camped along the roadside and continued their mobilisation.

Participants included communities from San Pedro and Canindeyú, who are demanding that the Instituto Paraguayo del Indígena (INDI), the government agency responsible for Indigenous affairs, comply with prior commitments related to housing, food, water, healthcare, infrastructure and land rights.

Labour unions raise concerns over restrictions on strike action

On 16th and 17th December 2025, a 48-hour strike by bus drivers’ unions in La Asunción proceeded with limited participation after negotiations with authorities failed. Only a small number of companies joined the strike, affecting selected routes, while the Federación de Transportistas del Área Metropolitana instructed most operators to continue providing services, significantly reducing the overall impact. Authorities nonetheless estimated that around 100,000 passengers could be affected.

The strike followed the collapse of a tripartite dialogue process between unions, transport companies and the government. Drivers’ organisations raised concerns about a recently proposed transport reform law, particularly provisions that may restrict labour rights.

A key point of contention concerns the designation of public transport as an “essential service”, which requires the maintenance of at least 60 per cent of services during strikes. Unions argued that this requirement may limit the effective exercise of the right to strike. Workers also criticised rules on job continuity under new operators, warning of reduced protections and potential dismissals.

On 7th January 2026, President Santiago Peña Palacios enacted the new transport law (Law No. 7,671). The law does not explicitly prohibit strikes, but it establishes a regulatory framework that may significantly restrict their practical exercise in the public transport sector. It defines public transport as an “essential and indispensable public service” that must operate continuously, regularly and without interruption (article 23). While the law acknowledges the possibility of strikes or force majeure situations, it requires that at least 60 per cent of services be maintained in all circumstances (article 20).

In addition, the regulatory authority may impose mandatory service conditions during strikes, including setting minimum service frequencies and ensuring continuity of operations (article 25.y). Although the law does not formally abolish the right to strike, its classification of public transport as an essential service, combined with mandatory continuity obligations and broad regulatory powers, may result in de facto restrictions on the exercise of this right. In the absence of clear safeguards to ensure that such restrictions meet requirements of necessity and proportionality, the framework raises concerns regarding its compatibility with international human rights standards.

Municipal workers mobilise over unpaid wages

On 6th November 2025, members of the Association of Employees of the Municipality of Asunción (Asociación de Funcionarios de la Municipalidad de Asunción, Afuma), a trade union representing municipal public sector workers, staged a protest inside the municipal government building in Asunción, demanding payment of more than 14 billion Paraguayan guaraníes (approximately equivalent to two million US dollars) in outstanding obligations.

The mobilisation brought together workers from multiple municipal services, including healthcare and public markets, and aimed to secure immediate payments to sustain workers’ livelihoods and meet the association’s financial commitments. According to union representatives, the delays have disrupted payments to essential service providers, including banks, pharmacies, supermarkets and insurance companies.

Workers reported salary and social contribution arrears dating back several months, with some sectors affected since February 2025. The protest coincided with parallel demonstrations by retired municipal workers demanding pension payments.

Union representatives rejected proposals by authorities to address the debt through financial restructuring mechanisms, arguing that such measures would increase costs and further burden workers. They instead called for direct payments and greater transparency and accountability in municipal financial management.

Union pressure secures salary adjustments for judicial staff

On 28th October 2025, the Judicial Employees’ Trade Union of Paraguay (Sindicato de Funcionarios Judiciales del Paraguay, SIFJUPAR) announced a nationwide strike scheduled for 14th November, protesting the exclusion of a salary adjustment demand from the draft 2026 national budget. The planned 30-day strike was expected to significantly disrupt judicial services nationwide.

Following the announcement, on 11th November, the Chamber of Deputies introduced provisions addressing salary adjustment demands into the draft budget. As a result, SIFJUPAR suspended the strike and placed the mobilisation on standby, pending final approval by the Senate.

Union representatives stated that this development resulted in collective action, noting that the prospect of a nationwide shutdown contributed to the legislative reconsideration. Parallel pressure from unions representing Public Prosecutor’s Office staff further reinforced demands within the justice sector.

In a separate incident, on 28th October, judicial clerks protested at the Palace of Justice to demand compliance with salary provisions under Law No. 7000/22, which establishes their remuneration at 60 per cent of judges’ salaries. Members of the Asociación Paraguaya de Actuarios Judiciales organised the protest after months without a response to their requests for dialogue, having submitted approximately ten formal meeting requests since February 2025.

According to their representatives, recent salary increases for judges were not reflected in clerks’ wages, which remain below the level required by law. Following the protest, the Supreme Court agreed to hold a meeting on 3rd November, indicating a shift in its position after sustained pressure.

The mobilisations reflect wider labour tensions within the judiciary.

Expression

New proposal raises concerns over police role in safeguarding journalists

On 10th December 2025, members of the Senate raised concerns about the proposed changes to the content of a draft law on the protection of journalists promoted by the ruling party, which would grant the Ministry of the Interior authority to determine and implement protection measures for journalists facing threats, including through the National Police.

Senator Mario Varela publicly criticised the proposal, warning that placing protection mechanisms under police control could undermine their independence. He argued that assigning decision-making authority to the Ministry of the Interior may create risks of arbitrariness and conflicts of interest and could weaken existing democratic safeguards.

Press organisations, including the Paraguayan Journalists’ Trade Union (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay), also expressed concern that the proposal departs from earlier efforts to establish an autonomous and plural protection mechanism. They further noted that the revised draft entered Senate consideration without prior public consultation, limiting the participation of journalists and civil society stakeholders directly affected by the measure.

New resolution limits use of gender terminology in schools

On 7th November 2025, the Ministry of Education and Science (MEC) adopted Resolution No. 1803, requiring the removal of the term “gender” from all educational materials, printed and digital. The measure extends restrictions introduced in 2017, which prohibited references to what authorities described as “gender ideology” in schools.

Civil society organisations, including the Federation of Private Education Institutions of Paraguay (Federación de Instituciones de Educación Privada del Paraguay), criticised the resolution, stating that it may undermine constitutional principles of equality, pluralism and freedom of expression. They argued that restricting the use of the concept of gender may limit educators’ ability to address structural inequalities and social dynamics affecting women and girls.

The decision forms part of a broader governmental approach to exclude references to “gender” from public policy. As documented by the European Union System for an Enabling Environment (EU SEE), the resolution also coincides with wider policy debates, including proposals to replace the Ministry of Women with a Ministry of the Family, and recurring narratives portraying gender-related policies as externally imposed.

Former media executive sentenced to 10 years for sexual violence against journalists

On 26th November 2025, a criminal court unanimously convicted Carlos Javier Granada Fernández, former manager of the Albavisión media group, and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment for sexual coercion, coercion and sexual harassment against women journalists under his authority.

The court found that the criminal acts and the responsibility of the accused were established during a six-month oral trial, based on testimonies from multiple victims and corroborating evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It revoked all alternative measures and ordered his immediate detention, reflecting the gravity of the offences.

The case originated from complaints filed in May 2022 by several journalists working at Channel 9 (Albavisión), who reported repeated acts of harassment, coercion and sexual violence between 2016 and April 2022. Prosecutors identified a pattern of abuse of power, in which the accused exploited his position of authority and the economic vulnerability of the victims, including by summoning them to his office, subjecting them to unwanted physical contact, issuing threats and engaging in workplace retaliation.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office argued that the conduct constituted systematic abuse, including instances of forced sexual acts, while victims reported significant psychological harm, severe distress and long-term impacts on their wellbeing.

Following the conviction, the Supreme Court rejected a constitutional challenge filed by the defence seeking to suspend the proceedings, thereby allowing the judgment to stand.

After years of legal action and reported retaliation against women journalists, several recent court rulings have been described by women as recognition of their efforts to seek justice. On 16th December 2025, journalist Lorena Romero, one of the complainants, won a labour case against Albavisión after reporting mistreatment linked to her denunciation of Granada and her support for public protests demanding accountability. On 2nd February 2026, a court ordered the reinstatement of journalist Angie Prieto, finding her dismissal unjustified and linked to her complaints and public denunciations of harassment.

Two lawyers detained over threats and attack on journalist investigating corruption

On 21st January 2026, authorities detained two lawyers in connection with threats and an attack against journalist Carlos Javier Benítez Gauto, who has been reporting on the so-called “mafia de los pagarés” fraud scheme. The investigation is being conducted by the Cybercrime Department of the National Police in coordination with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors detained Zully Ortiz and Evelin Librada Paredes Frutos, alleging that they created fake Facebook accounts to intimidate Benítez and pressure him to abandon his investigation. Authorities also searched a law office in Asunción and seized material evidence relevant to the case.

The investigation links both suspects to Luis Alberto Quintana, who authorities had previously detained and charged with coercion and criminal threats against the journalist. Prosecutors indicated that the threats formed part of a coordinated effort to obstruct his reporting, suggesting attempts to interfere with investigative journalism.

The case follows an earlier incident on 18th September 2025, when unidentified assailants fired shots at Benítez’s home. Although no injuries were reported, the attack occurred after the journalist had received multiple online threats.

Report highlights persistent impunity in killings of journalists since 1989

In late November 2025, CODEHUPY published a report documenting patterns of violence and impunity against journalists between 1989 and 2024. The report found that at least 22 journalists were killed during this period, with only three cases resulting in final convictions, while the rest remain unresolved. This lack of accountability has contributed to a persistent climate of impunity, increasing risks for journalists.

Most victims were targeted while reporting on organised crime, including drug trafficking, smuggling and corruption, particularly in border regions. The report also noted that killings of women journalists were often mischaracterised as “crimes of passion”, minimising their professional work.

The findings highlight structural weaknesses in the justice system and ongoing risks for journalists, underscoring the need to address impunity and strengthen protection mechanisms to safeguard freedom of expression.