MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro's Brazil spied on Paraguay on joint Itaipú plant

Paraguay's diplomacy is not based on media reports, Ramírez Lezcano highlighted

Paraguay has launched investigations into an alleged cyberattack by Brazil targeting its government systems to obtain sensitive information about the Itaipu Binacional hydroelectric power plant, Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano confirmed. He said national intelligence and the Technologies and Information Ministry (MITIC) were probing the claims, though no evidence of a breach has been found yet.

In addition, MITIC Minister Gustavo Villate noted that no vulnerabilities have been detected so far, emphasizing proactive cybersecurity measures.

The probe was triggered by Brazilian media reports, notably UOL, claiming that the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) hacked Paraguayan systems under the previous government of Jair Bolsonaro in June 2022 to access confidential data on Itaipu tariff negotiations.

The operation reportedly used a tool called Cobalt Strike, operated from servers in Chile and Panama, targeting key Paraguayan officials. Brazil’s current government denied any involvement, stating the operation was canceled in March 2023 upon discovery, attributing it entirely to Bolsonaro’s administration.

However, an ABIN official reportedly said that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's intelligence chief, Luiz Fernando Corrêa, greenlighted its continuation.

Both Southern Common Market (Mercosur) partners have Itaipu tariff agreements set until 2027 amid ongoing talks about Annex C of the treaty. Paraguay insists its diplomatic channels remain official and institutional, while Brazil emphasizes its commitment to transparent dialogue.

Ramirez Lezcano said Paraguay had no evidence of any wrongdoing and added that tariffs were not currently being negotiated after being established to the satisfaction of both parties until 2027. He also mentioned that Paraguay's diplomacy was not run through media publications and insisted that all communications with Brazil were handled through official channels.

“We have seen that communication from Brazilian press media, where they made comments about this possible leak. From there, we took note from CERT, we have communicated to CERT Brazil, which is the Review Center that deals with cybersecurity matters and everything that has to do with communications from the Ministry,” Villate told reporters. “From that response, we have established communication, and we received the note that there was no communiqué beyond what had been published in the press,” he went on.

Villate also admitted other cybersecurity breaches. “We have identified in November last year an infiltration in the Chancellery, but we have mitigated it without much inconvenience. We have always been making recommendations in the cybersecurity plan and carrying out actions to be carried out proactively.”

“There is no one hundred percent security. The important thing is to know how you are going to act when the event happens because it is going to happen,” he also stressed.

“The Government of President Lula categorically denies any participation in the intelligence action, denounced today, against Paraguay, a member country of Mercosur with which Brazil maintains historical relations and a close association,” Itamaraty said in a statement.

“The aforementioned operation was authorized by the previous Government in June 2022 and left without effect by the acting director of the ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of the fact,” the document went on.

“The Government of President Lula reiterates its commitment to respect and transparent dialogue as fundamental elements in diplomatic relations with Paraguay and all its partners in the region and the world,” Brazil's Foreign Ministry also underlined.