During this period, tensions increased against journalists and media outlets that reported on nepotism, influence peddling, and impunity.
The attacks mainly came from authorities from the National Republican Association, who intended to silence public interest investigations into alleged irregularities in government management.
Part of the strategy involves persecuting journalists who cover or investigate alleged cases of corruption, organized crime, influence peddling, and drug trafficking, among other crimes.
In September, lawyers, activists, and opposition legislators denounced that the Bicameral Investigation Commission, better known as the "garrote" commission, is being used by Cartismo to persecute political rivals, social organizations, and media critical of the government. Senator Rafael Filizzola (PDP) announced in the Senate that, along with opposition colleagues, he would present a resolution to make the sessions of the "garrote" commission public and not secret, as they have been until now. Congress created The Bicameral Commission in August, with liberal cartist Senator Dionisio Amarilla as president and cartist Deputy Rodrigo Gamarra as vice president.
In June, the Senate vetoed Law No. 7,257, an extension of Law No. 5,282/2014, "On Free Access to Public Information and Government Transparency." This law required the state to keep public information updated and available to citizens in open and processable data formats
In July, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) concluded that the Paraguayan state violated the rights to freedom of thought and expression of the director of the newspaper ABC Color, Aldo Zuccolillo, by convicting him in 2005 for alleged "defamation" against then-Senator Juan Carlos "Calé" Galaverna (ANR). The organization also requested in its ruling to nullify the criminal sanction imposed on Zuccolillo, who passed away in 2018, as a tribute to his memory.
Among the requests sent by the IACHR to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights is that the state must update its internal criminal regulations, decriminalizing the offenses of defamation, slander, or libel when the offended person is a public official or public figure or a private individual involved in matters of public interest.
In July, by resolution of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), the acquittal of the director of the ABC Color group, Natalia Zuccolillo, and journalist Juan Carlos Lezcano, in one of the lawsuits promoted by former Minister of Taxation Marta González, for alleged defamation in publications, was confirmed.
In a second action promoted by the former minister against Zuccolillo and Lezcano Flecha, they were convicted of the alleged crime of defamation. In addition to the fine, Zuccolillo has imposed an additional patrimonial sanction.
In August, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice declared the cassation appeal filed by the defense of Juan Vera, head of Asucop, inadmissible. It ratified the defendant's conviction for violating the privacy of journalist Mercedes "Menchi" Barriocanal. Vera must pay about G. 53 million for publishing the journalist's private cell phone number on social media to harass her.
In July, the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates (JEM) archived the investigation of Judge Rosa Alderete, who ordered restrictive measures against journalist Mabel Portillo, accused of "gender violence" by the mayor of Yataity, Gloria Duarte, due to publications about irregularities in the municipality. The Paraguayan Journalists' Union demanded an end to the persecution of the journalist, considering the legal actions as a strategy of harassment and censorship.
In April, the Chamber of Deputies rejected a request for sanctions against cartist Deputy Yamil Esgaib, who assaulted journalist Sara Moreno of ABC Color. He also assaulted journalists Fiona Aquino of ABC Color and Rocío Pereira of Telefuturo, who questioned him about accusations of nepotism and influence peddling for hiring his daughter at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In April, the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates (JEM) prosecuted judges Carmen Elizabeth Silva Bóveda, Ana Graciela Aguirre Núñez, and Mirna Carolina Soto González, members of the sentencing tribunal of Pedro Juan Caballero, for excluding evidence from the Prosecutor's Office and acquitting Waldemar Pereira Rivas, alias "Cachorrão," accused of the murder of journalist Leo Vera, which occurred in 2020 in Pedro Juan Caballero.
