MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Paraguayan president attends antisemitism event in Israel

Cartes was invited to Israel by PM Netanyahu

Horacio Cartes, president of the ruling National Republican Association (ANR) – also known as Colorado Party - and former president of Paraguay (2013-2018), traveled to Israel on Monday at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the March 26-27 International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism.

Cartes, who has been declared significantly corrupt by Washington and is banned from entering the United States, leased an Argentina registered aircraft for the trip, needing only one stopover in Portugal to refuel. It was Cartes' first trip abroad since 2019, when Brazil briefly ordered his detention in a money-laundering probe which was later revoked.

The Colorado leader's entourage included Lower House Speaker Raúl Latorre, Senator Antonio Barrios, and other prominent politicians from the South American country as well as his romantic partner Chiara Capdevila.

Cartes “will participate in the International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism, to be held on March 26 and 27,” the ANR said in a statement. In addition, he is scheduled to participate in a private roundtable with world leaders, Latorre confirmed.

The former head of State and mentor of incumbent President Santiago Peña, had not left Paraguay since 2019 due to concerns regarding his freedom of movement.

According to his lawyer Pedro Ovelar, Cartes remained in Paraguay out of “prudence” due to a “political-media persecution” orchestrated by the previous Paraguayan government of Mario Abdo Benítez (2018-2023), also belonging to the ANR, albeit to a faction opposing Cartes' Colorado Honor.

Ovelar claimed that this persecution involved fabricated reports and institutional manipulation, influencing both Brazil’s case and US sanctions, which also tied Cartes to groups deemed to be terrorist organizations.

The solicitor noted that while no formal legal change prompted the trip, evolving “circumstances” and evidence disproving terrorism links reduced the perceived risk. Cartes’ departure reflects a shift in his situation, despite ongoing debates about his past.

Latorre also said Cartes is used to traveling in private aircraft and ruled out this trip's choice was linked to his current “unfair” legal status in the US.