MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan VP under the spotlight over undeclared campaign contributions

Alliana flew aircraft belonging to a Chinese businessman who was awarded a sizeable contract to purchase school desks

Paraguay’s Vice President Pedro Alliana, from the National Republican Association (ANR-HC), placed himself under the spotlight Monday for failing to disclose campaign contributions from Long Jiang, a Chinese businessman and main shareholder of Kamamya SA, a company that was awarded the purchase of US$ 32 million worth of school desks for the Itaipú Binational Entity in a fudgy tender. Alliana’s flights coincided with meetings with ANR leader and former President Horacio Cartes with no official justification.

The Itaipu tender has also sparked controversy in Paraguay’s industrial sector, with leaders like José Huidobro of the Metallurgical Industries Center and Enrique Duarte of the Paraguayan Industrial Union (UIP) accusing the process of favoring Kamamya SA over local manufacturers. They criticize the short deadlines, altered specifications, and lack of support for national production, arguing it harmed local employment and the economy. Despite competitive bids from Paraguayan firms, minor technical discrepancies disqualified them, fueling claims of unfairness and insider favoritism toward the Chinese supplier.

”I declare under oath that the information provided is truthful, a true reflection of my financial situation, without omissions of any kind, and that I meet the constitutional and legal requirements of the position for which I am running and I am not subject to any of the grounds for disqualification provided for in the National Constitution and the Laws. I give my express consent to disclose the data contained in this document, according to the terms established in Law No. 6501/2020 (which regulates political financing),” read the two affidavits filed before the Superior Court of Electoral Justice (TSJE) by the now Vice-President Alliana, who also admitted to receiving help for his campaign from other businessmen who were also suppliers of the State.

One of the Vice President's trips took place on May 12, 2024, and was made in the aircraft with registration ZP-GOD. In the aircraft, which departed from Silvio Pettirossi airport, traveled Vice President Pedro Alliana, Congresswoman Fabiana Souto, Isaac Olazar, David Cubilla, José Verón, Gustavo Sánchez, and Julio Villalba, who is registered as a partner in the companies Hoahi SA and Mallapar SA together with the Itaipu supplier Long Jiang. Villalba is also a stockholder at the agro-livestock companies La Nidia SA and Tomoñaro SA, both alleged buyers of desks from Kamamya SA.

On May 13, 2024, Alliana published on social media his visit to Cartes. “Today we shared an important meeting with the president of my glorious Colorado Party, dear Horacio Cartes. We were also accompanied by a great coreligionist and friend Raúl Latorre,” he posted.