Corruption Case Rocks Paraguayan Political System
President Santiago Peña of Paraguay. (Wikimedia Commons)
An investigation led by Osmar Legal blew open a widespread corruption scandal plaguing the Paraguayan government the week of February 13, 2025.
The scandal became public after Legal, an organized crime judge, reviewed WhatsApp messages on the phone of Eulalio ‘Lalo’ Gomes, who was killed during a police raid in August 2024. The messages expose political favors and judicial manipulation throughout the government. As a member of the right-wing ruling party, The Colorado Party, his messages implicate a large portion of the sitting government.
Corruption is not new in the highest levels of the Paraguayan political system. The prior two presidents, Mario Abdo Benítez and Horatio Cartes, have both been embroiled in their own corruption scandals. Cartes, the former leader of The Colorado Party, has even been singled out by the U.S. State Department for the significant corruption evident in his administration, according to the U.S. Embassy.
The 2023 election victory of the current president, Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party, dimmed chances of corruption crackdowns, with Peña even thanking Cartes as a mentor during his victory speech.
The leaked WhatsApp messages of Gomes are only a further extension of the country’s history of corruption. The messages, as shown in Latin News, implicated several judges and prosecutors who were found to have been seeking political favors in exchange for judicial support.
Most shockingly, Judge Carmen Silva excluded evidence and witnesses to get Waldemar Pereira Rivas, a suspected Brazilian gang member accused of murder, acquitted of his charges.
In the wake of popular backlash, President Peña decided to host a Summit of Powers to address the corruption concerns.
While many are calling for the dismissal of intelligence chief Marco Alcaraz and anti-money laundering head Liliana Alcaraz for their involvement in the scheme, according to ABC, Peña reaffirmed his support for the Alcaraz brothers at the Summit, claiming they “continue to enjoy my trust.”
Moreover, Peña’s Summit only offered vague commitments to rooting out corruption, which fell flat within the context of his support for the implicated officials. Critics, including former President Benítez, called the Summit a simple gathering of friends who aimed to develop a pact of impunity.
Lawsuits are already being filed against Legal for personal damages caused by his discovery and release of the messages. Lawyers are arguing that he violated the Constitution by opening confidential reports.
Though these reactionary lawsuits could potentially signal a larger institutional response to Legal, they are not an atypical response to anti-corruption movements, as similar patterns can be observed all across Latin America.
This scandal further exacerbates Paraguay’s declining credibility in the international community. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) produced by Transparency International shows the country falling 13 places, from 133rd to 149th, from 2023 to 2024. Paraguay stands at a corruption score of 24 out of 100 (where 0 indicates ‘highly corrupt’).
The scandal is endemic to a larger systemic problem and Peña’s response shows little indication of reform in the near future.