MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan Supreme Court Justice Gladys Bareiro de Modica dies

The country's Judiciary will be in mourning for three days after the death of Bareiro de Modica

Paraguay's Supreme Court Justice Gladys Bareiro de Modica has passed away Monday in Asunción only a few months before she was due to retire.

Following the announcement, the Supreme Court declared three days of mourning within the entire country's Judiciary, from Aug. 17 to 19 during which time the national flag will be hoisted at half-mast. Barreiro de Modica had joined the Supreme Court in 2010.

According to Supreme Court sources, the magistrate was hospitalized for a case of appendicitis which evolved into a generalized infection.

Barreiro de Modica was a member of the Constitutional Chamber, superintendent of the Alto Paraná and Itapúa Circumscriptions. She also served as head of the Mediation and Intellectual Property Directorate.

In 2016, she was declared immovable from office by the Constitutional Chamber, due to which the magistrate would retain her position unless removed by impeachment or after 75 years of age.

Justice Gladys Ester Bareiro de Modica was in intensive had been in ICU since last week due to a “complex medical situation.” She underwent emergency surgery last Thursday. The cause of death was determined to be complications from peritonitis, according to hospital sources.

Bareiro was also a member of the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates (JEM), which has cancelled its activities scheduled for Tuesday.

The magistrate was to turn 75 years of age on October 16, after which she would have had to vacate her job. Nevertheless, a substitute has not yet been appointed, although the Council of the Magistracy (CM) Monday made a hasty call for those interested in vying for the position to register.

Barreiro de Modica had graduated from the National University of Asunción Law School in 1971 and got a PhD in Legal Sciences in 1998. She was also vice president of the Paraguayan Bar Association.