MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay backtracks on DEA cooperation breakup

Cibar Benítez admitted that the 2022 agreement had been overlooked

The Paraguayan Government of President Santiago Peña reversed its decision to stop all cooperation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Wednesday, citing an agreement signed in 2022 during Mario Abdo Benítez's administration, of which nobody seemed to have been aware.

During a press conference in Asunción, Paraguay's National Commission for the Defense of Natural Resources (Conaderna) Permanent Secretary Cibar Benítez admitted that the DEA had conveyed its intention to suspend all cooperation with Paraguay after the note sent from the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad). “The note even says that they would begin to withdraw their things or see the inventory they have. That is what was generated with the initial note,” Benítez explained while noting that the 2022 agreement had been overlooked.

It seems that the Memorandum of Understanding with the DEA was misplaced somewhere. Benítez could not explain how this had happened. He avoided pointing fingers and said an inquiry could be launched.

“The most important thing is to clarify that the note of December 6 referred to a memorandum of understanding that is no longer in force; the agreement in force is from the year 2022. This memorandum is not in Senad's archives, and that gave us cause to rectify and issue a new note,” said Benítez.

The Conaderna official later mentioned a second note to the DEA overruling the previous message and pledging to keep working together with the United States. The message also pointed out that the current Paraguayan administration was unaware of the 2022 deal.

Senad Minister Jalil Rachid said he would not resign over this mistake while reckoning he would take responsibility for it. “I would not give it the denomination of embarrassment if it is a change for the better,” he argued.

Benítez highlighted Rachid's “courage” in rectifying the situation. “I would not want to blame anyone because I have no proof,” he stressed. “This afternoon we went back to make sure that that memo is not in the files,” he insisted.