President enacts controversial law restricting civil society; Land rights protesters face threats

Introduction

Paraguay’s institutional crisis: Corruption and the fallout from leaked messages

Paraguay is confronting its most severe institutional crisis since the democratic transition of 1989, following revelations of deep-rooted corruption and collusion between public officials and organised crime networks.

In February 2025, new evidence emerged from WhatsApp messages retrieved from the phone of former Deputy Eulalio Gomes, who was killed during a joint police-prosecutorial operation in August 2024 while under investigation for money laundering tied to drug trafficking. The communications allegedly expose a network of bribery and influence-peddling involving senior figures in the legislature, judiciary and prosecution services.

Among those implicated is Judge Osmar Legal, who acknowledged contact with Gomes in January 2020 regarding an inter-institutional response to the escape of 76 members of the “Primer Comando da Capital” (PCC) from a prison in Pedro Juan Caballero.

The scandal has led to a series of resignations and disciplinary measures. For example, Deputy Orlando Arévalo resigned from both his parliamentary seat and his position on the Jury for the Trial of Magistrates (Jurado de Enjuciamiento de Magistrados, JEM), which oversees judicial conduct. Prosecutors Stella Mary Cano and Katia Uemura now face ongoing disciplinary proceedings.

In response, on 7th February 2025, 48 civil society organisations called for an urgent institutional response, including independent oversight mechanisms to ensure judicial processes remain free from political influence. They also demanded structural reforms and broader civic engagement to restore confidence in the rule of law.

On 6th March 2025, Prosecutor Francisco Cabrera confirmed that the investigation into the chats retrieved from Gomes’s phone will extend to all people potentially engaged in criminal conduct, not limited to those initially named by Judge Legal.

UN Committee finds Paraguay responsible for arbitrary killing of two girls in military operation

On 17th January 2025, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) issued a landmark decision holding Paraguay internationally responsible for the arbitrary deprivation of life of two 11-year-old girls—Lilian Mariana Villalba and María Carmen Villalba—during a 2020 military-police operation in Yby Yaú, Concepción Department. The CRC determined that the operation, carried out by the Joint Task Force (FTC), constituted a grave violation of Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It further found that Paraguay had failed to meet its obligations under Article 4 by not ensuring an effective, prompt, and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the deaths.

The Committee’s inquiry revealed serious procedural irregularities, including the destruction of the victims’ clothing, initially justified on sanitary grounds, which hindered forensic examination, and the state’s mischaracterisation of the girls as adult combatants. Forensic analysis and subsequent exhumations confirmed that both victims were children, each bearing gunshot wounds to the front and back. The CRC concluded that the absence of a credible investigation, combined with the state’s obstruction, suggested either serious negligence or deliberate concealment.

The CRC called on the State to complete the investigation with due diligence, seek international forensic assistance, and implement institutional reforms to ensure independent oversight of security operations. It also recommended training for security personnel, grounded in human rights, with specific emphasis on gender and child protection. Additionally, the CRC urged the state to adopt a gender-sensitive and child rights-based approach to security policy to address the structural risks faced by women, girls, and other marginalised groups.

This case reflects broader concerns raised by civil society regarding the militarisation of Paraguay’s northern regions since the FTC’s establishment in 2013. Organisations such as the Human Rights Coordinator in Paraguay (Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos del Paraguay, Codehupy) have documented recurrent human rights violations in rural areas and a persistent culture of impunity.

Association

President Santiago Peña enacts the “anti-NGO” law

On 15th November 2024, President Santiago Peña enacted Law 7363/24, formally titled “Control, Transparency, and Accountability of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) Law” (Law 7363). Widely criticised by civil society organisations and human rights bodies, the law has become known as the “garrotte” or “anti-NGO law” due to concerns over its impact on freedom of association. As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, the law would undermine the autonomy and funding of civil society organisations and potentially serve as a mechanism to silence political dissent.

Under Article 7, the law establishes a mandatory national registry for all NPOs, while Articles 15 to 18 impose stricter financial and operational reporting requirements. These provisions add to an already complex compliance framework. According to the Association of Technology, Education, Development, Research, Communication (TEDIC)—a Paraguayan organisation that promotes human rights in digital environments—NGOs in Paraguay already face more than 13 types of mandatory registrations. The new law introduces excessive requirements and significant penalties for non-compliance, intensifying the administrative burden.

While the government maintains that the law aims to foster transparency and enhance coordination with the state, critics argued that it creates avenues for state interference and intimidation. The law’s vague and broadly worded provisions pose a risk against organisations that document human rights violations or challenge official narratives.

While the law remains unregulated for the time being, its political implications are already unfolding. Shortly after its enactment, on 19th November 2024, the Bicameral Commission of Investigation (CBI), informally known as the “Garrote Commission,” extended its mandate to scrutinise critical NPOs by a further 60 days. The CBI, initially tasked with investigating alleged money laundering via NPOs in August 2024, has already drawn criticism for fostering a hostile environment for civil society.

During the Commission’s final session of 2024, Senator Gustavo Leite claimed that Paraguay could be witnessing “the biggest waste of unnecessary funds in the history of Paraguayan non-profit organisations.” He alleged that USD 67 million in funding from USAID and the European Union—earmarked for education and democracy-building—had been largely spent on salaries without producing measurable outcomes. While no formal audit or independent investigation has substantiated these claims, they have further fuelled anti-NGO narratives within political discourse.

According to media reports, the Commission’s legal counsel, Sergio Godoy Codas, had initiated legal proceedings to obtain documentation that several NPOs had declined to provide. However, human rights observers have raised alarms that such legal manoeuvres may serve to intimidate and delegitimise civil society organisations under the guise of financial scrutiny.

As reported by the European Union System for an Enabling Environment (EU SEE)—a consortium of international civil society organisations and network members in 86 countries— in February 2025, members of the CBI sought documentation from USAID to examine the activities of recipient organisations, amid growing rhetoric linking international cooperation with foreign interference. In addition, calls from Paraguayan lawmakers to freeze USAID funding—framed as a transparency measure—have disrupted vital civil society programmes.

Peaceful Assembly

Protest in memory of Rodrigo Quintana met with police intervention and criminal prosecution

On 31st March 2025, a group of 30 citizens gathered at the entrance of the Palace of Justice in Asunción, intending to stage a theatrical performance in memory of Rodrigo Quintana, a young political activist fatally shot by police in 2017. The demonstration aimed to spotlight the ongoing demand for justice and accountability eight years after Quintana’s killing. Police officers immediately blocked the protesters and disrupted the action, citing disturbance of public order.

On 7th April 2025, Attorney Felino Amarilla filed a criminal complaint with the Human Rights Unit of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The complaint, lodged on behalf of the protesters, accuses Police Commissioners Mario Ovelar, Gustavo Errecarte, and other officers of having inflicted serious injuries during the police response. Despite this, the same prosecutorial office had already initiated proceedings against the protesters, based on a prior police report accusing them of disturbing public peace and resisting authority.

Threats against peasant communities protesting for land rights

On 9th May 2025, the National Institute for Rural and Land Development (Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Rural y Tierra, INDERT) issued a public statement that threatens campesinos with the loss of their right to land titles if they participate in protests or road closures. The message, directed at residents of rural colonies in the process of land regularisation, warns that those facing judicial proceedings for protesting may be disqualified from receiving property titles.

The Codehupy denounced the statement, noting that its language may amount to intimidation and coercion. Criminalising or discouraging participation in peaceful protest through the threat of legal consequences or denying land rights constitutes a violation of fundamental rights. Frente Guasu, a left-wing political coalition, also rejected INDERT’s statement, stressing that demands for access to land and a dignified life are rooted in decades of inequality and exclusion.

Paraguay’s peasant and Indigenous communities have historically faced systemic barriers to land ownership, with large areas concentrated in the hands of a few landowners and limited action by the state to implement a comprehensive agrarian reform.

Thousands mobilise peacefully against corruption, austerity and proposed labour reforms

Between 25th and 27th March 2025, thousands of protesters peacefully mobilised across the country. With demonstrations centred in Asunción and extending to multiple departments, participants from diverse backgrounds—older persons, Indigenous communities, peasants, students, trade unions, and civil society organisations—voiced collective demands for stronger public services, dignified living conditions, and an end to organised crime and corruption within state institutions.

The protests began with pensioners’ groups, yerba mate workers and university students, who called for fair resource distribution and better access to healthcare, education and employment. On 26th March, opposition political parties joined the mobilisation, denouncing austerity measures and policies perceived to undermine public welfare and democratic accountability.

The largest demonstration took place on 27th March with the 31st edition of the annual Campesina, Indigenous and Popular March, led by the National Peasant Federation (Federación Nacional Campesina, FNC). The mobilisation amplified longstanding demands for agrarian reform, access to land, protection of rural livelihoods, and a rejection of proposed laws that protesters argued would erode labour rights, particularly the Unified National Registry (RUN) and the pension system reforms.

Mass mobilisation against corruption

On 11th February 2025, thousands of protesters filled the streets of central Asunción in a sweeping mobilisation against entrenched judicial corruption. Protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates (JEM), demanding institutional reform and an end to what many describe as mafia-style control over the judiciary. The protest was spearheaded by opposition political groups, civil society organisations and social movements, all calling for greater transparency and accountability within one of the country’s most powerful institutions.

Waving Paraguayan flags and holding placards bearing bold slogans—such as “The mafia and narco-politicians own power” and “Jury to cover up for mafia magistrates”—protesters decried the alleged collusion between political elites and elements within the judiciary (see introduction). Many also condemned the Attorney General’s Office for what they described as its complicity in enabling impunity. Calls for structural change reverberated across the crowd, with chants urging the removal of all implicated officials and the restoration of democratic checks and balances.

The protest is forming part of a broader wave of mobilisations in Paraguay, as people are taking to the streets to express public discontent with the prevailing model of governance and are demanding transparency, justice and institutional accountability.

Indigenous communities demand attention to basic needs

On 10th January 2025, dozens of members of Indigenous communities from Paraguay’s Caaguazú Department mobilised in the capital, Asunción, to protest the state’s failure to guarantee their basic rights. The protesters, many of whom camped in different parts of the city, denounced the persistent lack of access to essential services such as clean water and education for both children and adults.

Their protest, centred outside the headquarters of the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute (Instituto Paraguayo del Indígena, INDI), included the blockade of a main avenue and calls for the resignation of INDI’s president, retired General Juan Ramón Benegas, who has held the position since 2016.

Spokesperson Wilson Aquino acknowledged the disruption caused to city residents and reiterated the communities’ longstanding demands. He recalled that in 2023 the authorities committed to dividing 486 hectares of land into 14 plots for Indigenous families in Caaguazú, a promise yet to be fulfilled. Protesters expressed frustration over what they described as continued institutional neglect and the absence of effective public policies to improve their living conditions.

According to Paraguay’s National Institute of Statistics, the Indigenous population stands at approximately 140,039 people and remains the country’s most socioeconomically marginalised group.

Expression

Attacks and intimidation against journalists

Between November 2024 and April 2025, press media organisations documented multiple incidents in Paraguay involving attacks, threats, intimidation and censorship against journalists. Some of these cases are described below:

• On 17th January 2025, journalist César Candia from Radio Tricolor was caught in crossfire during an eviction operation in the Edilson Mercado settlement of Colonia Tacuapy, where unidentified armed individuals opened fire on law enforcement officials. The armed individuals, positioned in a nearby wooded area, opened fire on the group, prompting an exchange of gunfire.
• On 25th February 2025, Senator Norma Aquino issued direct threats to journalist Fiona Aquino in response to a report on alleged nepotism and misuse of public resources. The incident, denounced by the Union of Journalists of Paraguay (SPP), reflects a concerning pattern of verbal attacks by public officials and attempts to delegitimise journalistic investigations.

• On 18th March 2025, journalist Cristian Bianciotto, director of Oviedo Press Multimedios, reported receiving threats in connection with articles published on the digital news platform. Subsequently, Bianciotto filed a formal complaint against Gerardo Melgarejo for issuing threats via a message on Facebook, using the profile “Mood Disco”. The message stated: “Cristian, mba’e la ne problem. He takes you with me, you will find me very soon, we will meet. I chased me without mercy and you have me married, I'm not afraid, I can tell you that much (sic).” The Public Prosecutor’s Office granted protective measures in accordance with domestic protocols.
• On 16th December 2024, a judge issued precautionary measures in favour of Senator Lilian Samaniego, following a complaint filed under Law No. 5777 on Comprehensive Protection of Women against All Forms of Violence. The court order prohibits journalists Eduardo Dios Kostianovsky, Maricel Thomen, Nelson Valenzuela and Laura Martino from directing insults or humiliating and denigrating remarks towards the senator. It also bars them from engaging in acts of persecution, intimidation or harassment aimed at undermining her dignity or targeting her on the basis of her gender, under warning of judicial contempt. Judicial gag orders continue to be employed to prevent media coverage of sensitive issues. Other similar cases have been previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor in August and April 2024.

The 2024 Annual Report of the Roundtable for the Safety of Journalists in Paraguay (Mesa para la Seguridad de Periodistas) documented 33 incidents affecting press freedom, including threats, censorship, physical aggression, stigmatising discourse, judicial harassment and arbitrary detention. Although no journalist killings were recorded in 2024, Paraguay continues to exhibit chronic levels of impunity, with approximately 90 per cent of attacks against journalists remaining unresolved. This failure to ensure accountability undermines public confidence in the judiciary and perpetuates a climate of fear

Ruling party legislators seek to restrict media following investigative report on President Peña

Following the publication of a press investigation by ABC Color on 27th January 2025 regarding President Santiago Peña’s use of public funds for luxury expenses, Deputy Rodrigo Gamarra—from the ruling Colorado party—publicly called for the adoption of a press law to “regulate” journalistic activity. This proposal, echoed by other ruling-party legislators, included statements promoting restrictions on freedom of expression to ensure “respect.”

The initiative has been met with criticism from civil society and journalists’ organisations, including the Union of Journalists of Paraguay (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay, SPP) and the Codehupy. These organisations have warned that the proposal could lead to undue restrictions on press freedom, contravening Paraguay’s international obligations. Codehupy further noted that any such legislation must comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality under international human rights law and be subject to conventionality control as established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

The statement represents an effort to discredit and delegitimise independent journalism, raising concerns over freedom of expression. It may also chill public interest journalism.