MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Paraguay keeper gets prison sentence for defamation

After his conviction, will Chilavert be banned from running for President of Paraguay?

Former Paraguay national team goalkeeper and captain José Luis Félix Chilavert has been handed down a one-year suspended prison sentence for acts of defamation against South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) President Alejandro Domínguez, it was announced Wednesday by an Asunción court.

Domínguez's lawyer Claudio Lovera said it was proven Chilavert committed the punishable acts of slander, defamation, and libel against his client. The terms libel, slander, and defamation are frequently confused with each other, although they all involve false statements which harm a person’s reputation. Libel is a defamatory statement that is written. Slander is an oral defamatory statement. And defamation is a broader concept that encompasses both.

Chilavert has repeatedly accused Domínguez of being “corrupt” in various publications and on Twitter, for which he was sued by Domínguez.

The Court will read out the sentence and its full implications June 1, it was announced. Only then will the convicted offender learn if he is allowed to leave the country as well as the other legal requirements he will have to observe to remain outside of jail. The question is: Will Chilavert be banned from running for President of Paraguay? He has already announced his intentions time and again.

Regarding the PYG 100 million (around US$ 14,630) sought as compensation, the court will first need to scrutinize Chilavert's solvency. “Not because he is a powerful media person, can he fix this compensation,” the magistrate said. Domínguez promised to donate the amount to Sara Chilavert Ayala, who is undergoing cancer treatment.

“Alejandro Domínguez is a failure and wants to censor criticism,” Chilavert had said about the lawsuit against him. He might now be also sentenced to perform some community service to “guarantee his reinsertion into society.”

Chilavert, who has (or had) plans to run for president through an independent party, had dinner Tuesday at an Asunción restaurant with Argentine Deputy Javier Milei. It was the meeting of two regional charismatic figures. Also joining the group was Milei's sister, Karina.

“Thank you Javier Milei and Karina for the magical night we spent, the dinner was a luxury and may the successes continue,” Chilavert wrote on social media. They had met previously in September last year before Milei was elected into Congress.

Chilavert and Milei have a common history. The economist is also a former keeper who as a junior played for Chacarita and also at San Lorenzo, at the same time the Paraguayan was a member of the professional team.

“We were talking about the problems of our countries, about the pandemic, about the need to generate credibility so that investors can come to our countries; in short, people must be taught to work,” Chuilavert said in a radio interview.

Milei was in Asunción to give a lecture at the National Chamber of Commerce and Services of Paraguay.

The Libertarian economist also plans to launch his political alliance for the Province of Buenos Aires June 10 at a football stadium.