Paraguay Roundup: Pensions, drug trafficking, weapons, nepotism accusations

Pension will increase for Paraguay’s senior citizens

Every month, senior citizens get a quarter of the country’s minimum wage.

According to ABC, from January 2024, senior citizens and war veterans will see an increase in their pensions. The former will get US$4 more every month, whereas the latter will get a monthly increase of $16. According to the country’s Pension Program, in 2023 over 310,000 senior citizens received around US$90 per month, a quarter of the country’s minimum wage. 

Drug trafficker’s brother will be extradited to Paraguay

Diego Marset was arrested in Brazil on Tuesday. His brother Sebastián remains at large.

Diego Marset, a 21-year-old Uruguayan citizen, was arrested on Tuesday in Brazil and will be extradited to Paraguay, where he will face drug trafficking and money laundering charges, according to Última Hora. His brother Sebastián, a 32-year-old drug trafficker with connections to mafias in South America and Brazil, has been accused of the murder of Marcelo Pecci, a high-profile Paraguayan prosecutor. 

Police seize weapons in a prison in Paraguay

The raid at Tucumbú prison showed inmates had electric appliances, weapons, and alcoholic beverages.

Última Hora reports that Paraguayan police seized a large number of knives in a raid at the Tucumbú prison, in Asunción, the country’s capital. They also found appliances like flat-screen TVs, microwave ovens, toaster ovens, refrigerators, air conditioning units, and dozens of cell phones. The chief of the police unit in charge of the raid, José Velásquez, also stated that most inmates in a “VIP section” of the prison had individual rooms with private bathrooms, and access to alcoholic beverages, such as beer, whisky and wine. 

Guns seized from smugglers will be used by Paraguay's Police

Up to US$5 million in firearms were seized from a smuggling network in early December.

According to ABC, Paraguay’s Interior Minister, Enrique Riera, announced that the National Police will receive around 2,000 guns seized in early December. Riera explained that up to US$5 million in guns were obtained after “Dakovo”, a police operation to dismantle a weapon smuggling network led by Argentine businessman Diego Dirisio, who imported firearms legally into Paraguay and sent them to criminal gangs such as Comando Verlmelho and Primer Comando Capital in Brazil. “We will fight them with the guns they wanted to harm us with,” celebrated Minister Riera.

Congressman denounces widespread nepotism in Paraguay’s Congress

Raúl Benítez, member of the opposition, also criticized client politics and quid-pro-quos in Congress.

Raúl Benítez, member of the opposition in Paraguay’s Congress, denounced that many of the country’s public servants simply get their jobs because they are loyal to Partido Colorado, in office since 2013. Benítez also said that some bills are approved because members of Congress are offered benefits, and that nepotism is widespread throughout the State. Earlier this week, ABC reported that Elías Godoy, the 19-year-old son of Congresswoman Roya Torres Báez, is now working as an Advisor in the National Congress.