Paraguayan authorities took delivery of 20 electric buses donated by Taiwan as part of an initiative to modernize public transportation and promote sustainability. A second batch of 10 more buses is on its way, along with eight chargers to ensure operability, it was also reported in Asunción.
Singapore's Food Agency (SFA) concluded an audit of Paraguay's meat industry, focusing on animal health and food safety controls, in a move to open up to Paraguayan beef, pork, and poultry exports. The evaluation, conducted between March 3 and 11, involved inspections of meat processing plants and meetings with Senacsa (Paraguay's National Animal Health and Quality Service), as well as representatives from the beef, pork, and poultry sectors, including the Paraguayan Meat Chamber and Rural Association.
The Paraguayan Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against seven former officials from the administration of former President Mario Abdo Benítez (2018-2023), including three former ministers, for alleged crimes such as criminal association, usurpation of public office, false denunciation, and disclosure of secrets. The accused include former Interior Minister Arnaldo Giuzzio, former head of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat René Fernández, and former official Carlos Arregui from the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money Laundering (Seprelad), among others.
Officials from the São Paulo football club Palmeiras said the South American Football Confederation's sanctions issued Sunday against Paraguay's Cerro Porteño following last week's racist incidents were “extremely lenient.”
Paraguay's Minister of Women Cynthia Figueredo urged the citizenry to keep working toward equity and justice during a ceremony leading up to Saturday's International Women's Day. She also underlined the power of women to transform society and called for collective action to build a more equal country.
Paraguay's Economy Minister Carlos Fernández forecast a difficult 2025 given the drought affecting agricultural production and thus driving prices upward. In this scenario, he underlined the need for innovative policies and constant review of institutional work as the Government of President Santiago Peña aims to provide necessary resources for health, education, security, and social transfers while improving public spending.
Paraguay's National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa) confirmed this week that the European Union's (EU) Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) has satisfactorily concluded an audit of the South American country's beef production. Conducted in September 2024, the audit evaluated official controls and certification systems, including checks on pharmacologically active substances, pesticides, and contaminants.
Paraguayan authorities considered this weekend that after Saturday's arrest of Lourdes Ramírez de Ramos, wife of the armed group Ejército del Mariscal López (EML) leader Alejandro Ramos, the illegal organization has been fully dismantled. The couple's daughter Lourdes Teresita Ramos has also been detained recently. They are all believed to have been involved in the kidnapping and subsequent disappearance of cattle rancher Félix Urbieta. Prosecutor Pablo Zárate confirmed that the two women had been placed under pre-trial detention.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Thursday celebrated the creation of over 96,000 new jobs since the start of his administration, according to a study from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) released in Asunción which showed a significant increase from the third quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2024, with major growth in commerce, restaurants, hotels, community services, and construction sectors.
The Paraguayan side of the Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY) admitted Wednesday that Argentina now owed nothing after paying US$ 23 million earlier this week, although certain arrangements concerning US$ 50 million were still pending. Paraguay's EBY General Manager Luis Benítez also pointed out that a financial agreement would be signed next week to set the entity's accounts straight.