The crisis at the Social Security Institute (IPS), marked by shortages of medicines and administrative and financial problems, prompted official and journalistic investigations. The Comptroller General examined alleged transactions involving ueno Bank, and two former IPS presidents were formally charged. The press also investigated President Peña’s financial ties to the group: he held shares in ueno Holding until March 2025 and, according to journalistic investigations, a US$300,000 loan from ueno Bank allegedly financed part of his summer home. These revelations prompted questions and demands for transparency, underscoring the watchdog role of investigative journalism.
Regarding press freedom, investigative journalists faced threats and attacks, particularly in border areas, as well as legal actions that media outlets and professional associations consider mechanisms of indirect censorship. Allegations also emerged concerning new forms of digital harassment and a disinformation network that allegedly used social media and digital advertising to discredit journalists, media outlets, and other critical voices.
In April, a Criminal Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the convictions of ABC Color director Natalia Zuccolillo and journalist Juan Carlos Lezcano, who had been convicted of defamation in 2022 over publications about former Deputy Minister of Taxation Marta González Ayala’s administration of the Marangatú computer system. The judges determined that the trial court’s ruling lacked proper reasoning, contained incurable procedural defects, and infringed the constitutional right to information and criticism of public administration. The decision nullified the judgment and remanded the case for a new oral trial without ruling on the merits of the accusation.
That same month, the Paraguayan Journalists’ Union (SPP) expressed concern over a bill titled “Prevention, Protection, and Assistance for Journalists and Press Workers Who Are Victims of Violence,” introduced in the Senate. The union questioned the discretion granted to the Executive Branch and the Ministry of the Interior to determine who would receive protective measures and warned that the mechanism could be used selectively.
In May, the Paraguayan Network of Women Journalists criticized President Peña’s remarks targeting ABC Color journalist Mariela Fretes after she asked him questions about his assets. The president insinuated that journalists might receive funding from criminal organizations and proposed reviewing the reporter’s income. Later, amid investigations into a digital disinformation network and fake profiles targeting critics of the governing party, he also publicly criticized journalistic reports and characterized certain investigations as “extortion.” Journalists’ organizations condemned these statements.
In June, the Criminal Court of Appeals upheld the rejection of a constitutional habeas data action brought by businessman Iván Pergher Brunetta against Última Hora. The plaintiff sought to have the outlet amend or remove from its website a 2015 article about a legal proceeding against him, in which he was subsequently cleared of the charges. The court found that the claim sought to establish a “right to be forgotten” that is not recognized under Paraguayan law.
Also in June, FIFA notified Editorial Azeta S.A. (Grupo ABC Color) and Radio Cardinal AM that it was revoking the press credentials of sports commentator Jorge “Chipi” Vera for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The measure followed comments Vera made about soccer officials during a match involving Paraguay’s national team. The SPP and the Association of Sports Journalists challenged the decision as disproportionate and contrary to freedom of opinion and the right to work. Vera acknowledged his remarks and issued a correction, but FIFA upheld the measure.
In June, a case involving threats and intimidation against journalist Carlos Benítez ended with the convictions of Zully Ortiz García and Evelin Librada Paredes Frutos. Both were found guilty of making death threats through fake social media profiles against the host of El Observador, a radio program on Radio Ñandutí. The investigation linked the harassment and a shooting attack on the journalist’s home to his reporting on the so-called “promissory note mafia.”
That same month, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the appeal filed by the defense of Carlos Granada, former press manager for Grupo Albavisión’s television channels SNT and C9N, upholding his 10-year prison sentence for coercion, sexual coercion, and sexual harassment involving several female press workers. The ruling upheld the decisions of the lower courts and established an important judicial precedent concerning gender-based violence and abuse of power in media workplaces.
In July, the National Police Command and the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered an investigation into alleged abuse of authority by officers from the Third Metropolitan Police Station following an assault on retired Última Hora journalist Lorenzo Villalba. The journalist was beaten and handcuffed while recording on his phone the arrest of a suspect during coverage of a nightclub fire in Asunción. The SPP criticized the use of force and the attempt to prevent the journalist from recording the police operation.
Also in July, the SPP called for the dismissal of Information and Communication Technologies Minister (Mitic) Gustavo Villate following ABC Color investigations into a network known as “La Red Desinformante” (“The Disinformation Network”). According to the reports, the network allegedly operated to discredit journalists and government critics and may have received public funding. Villate publicly targeted ABC Color journalist Leonardo Gómez with politically charged remarks. The SPP and international journalists’ organizations expressed concern over these events and the rhetoric directed at media professionals.
In the same context, the SPP reported that Radio Cáritas 680 AM had allegedly been pressured to remove from its social media accounts a post related to ABC Color’s investigation into the so-called “Disinformation Network.” According to the complaint, the pressure allegedly included a threat to withdraw government advertising. The case renewed concerns about the use of official advertising and its potential impact on editorial independence.
Also in July, evidence recovered from the phone of Saúl Humberto Ruiz Gauto, who was detained in an investigation into threats against radio broadcaster Aníbal Gómez Caballero in Pedro Juan Caballero, came to light. A forensic examination identified conversations with Amambay Representative Santiago Benítez concerning the sale of weapons and ammunition, dated to the period when the journalist was being harassed. Benítez acknowledged the communications and said he had been seeking weapons to strengthen his personal security because of the situation along the border.
Also in July, the Paraguayan state held an official ceremony to acknowledge responsibility and publicly apologize to the family of journalist Santiago Leguizamón Zaván, who was murdered in 1991 in Pedro Juan Caballero, in compliance with a measure ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The ceremony took place at the Palace of Justice in Asunción and was attended by government officials, family members, and representatives of the journalistic community. The family and the SPP called, among other measures, for the passage of a comprehensive protection law and the establishment of the working group mandated by the international court’s ruling to investigate the murders of 22 press workers that remain unpunished.
In August, press workers affiliated with the SPP held demonstrations after several media outlets refused to implement the 5% wage adjustment stipulated in their collective bargaining agreement. The protests took place outside the offices of Última Hora and ABC Color and received support from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The union linked the wage dispute to the sustainability of journalistic work.
In September, further developments emerged in the investigation into the “Despierta Paraguay” (Despierta PY) page, which was linked to the network known as “La Red Desinformante.” A private digital forensic examination of a phone voluntarily provided as part of a judicial settlement yielded information about the network’s administration and operations. The evidence was linked to executives of the Azafrán S.A. agency and individuals connected to the current government. Professional organizations and legal experts called on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether public funds had been used to finance digital advertising intended to discredit journalists and media outlets.
Journalistic investigations described a network that allegedly used Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads to disseminate content targeting critical journalists and media outlets, including false or manipulated material and content generated using artificial intelligence. The case prompted requests for information and investigations in Congress and raised concerns about the possible use of public resources and potential responsibility on the part of public officials or third parties. ABC Color’s investigation attributed a significant volume of digital advertising and targeted attacks against media outlets and journalists to the network, although these findings are based on journalistic reporting and remain subject to institutional scrutiny and investigation.
In September, Editorial Azeta S.A. (Grupo ABC Color) filed a constitutional challenge with the Supreme Court of Justice against court rulings ordering the removal from its digital platforms of four journalistic articles published between 2013 and 2015. The dispute arose from a habeas data action brought by businessman Estanislao Franco de Oliveira, known as “Chilao,” who alleged harm to his honor and reputation. The lower and appellate courts had ordered the removal of the historical archives. The media company argued that the rulings amounted to a form of indirect judicial censorship and violated constitutional guarantees and the American Convention on Human Rights. At the end of the reporting period, the challenge was pending before the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber.
Also in September, officials from the Municipality of Fernando de la Mora were accused of assaulting and intimidating residents and journalists. The complaints followed the installation of signs by residents and business owners criticizing the condition of local streets. According to the allegations, the response included threats of fines, administrative obstacles, and inspections. A Nación Media team comprising journalists from GEN and Universo 970 AM also reported obstruction while covering the story. Cameraman Rodrigo Benítez said he had been assaulted and prevented from recording images inside the municipal building.
In September, a trial court sentenced former Senator Hernán Rivas to eight years in prison after finding that he had used a fake law degree. The case had been brought to public attention through journalistic investigations questioning the authenticity of his academic credentials and his performance of public duties, including as president of the Council of Magistrates. The sentence was considered significant because of the case’s institutional implications and the role of investigative journalism in exposing it.
In September, the vehicle of journalist César Candia, a correspondent for SNT and C9N in Yasy Cañy, in the department of Canindeyú, and administrator of the digital outlet Noticias al Día, was set on fire. Security camera footage showed a person with their face covered approaching the vehicle, which was parked in front of the journalist’s home, dousing it with a flammable liquid, and setting it ablaze. The SPP called for an investigation, security measures for the journalist and his family, and progress on the bill to protect journalists and human rights defenders. Prosecutor Néstor Narváez formally requested enhanced security measures for Candia and his family.
In September, the Senate approved without debate a declaration concerning the Supreme Court’s delay in ruling on a motion to disqualify a judge in the Banco Atlas–CONMEBOL case. A subsequent attempt to reconsider the declaration, amid potential constitutional concerns, failed for lack of a quorum. Press organizations have expressed concern about legal actions involving Banco Atlas, which belongs to Grupo Zuccolillo, owner of ABC Color, amid concerns that they could constitute indirect pressure on the outlet.
In October, the Public Prosecutor’s Office asked for a complaint filed by Banco Atlas against technology company Itti to be dismissed. The complaint alleged computer sabotage and attempted extortion, despite the existence of a prosecutorial forensic report identifying possible irregularities in the bank’s computer system.
Also in October, investigations by ABC Color and Última Hora reported on a technical report by the Central Bank of Paraguay that warned of possible breaches of regulatory limits and questioned lending terms in transactions between ueno Bank and related companies. According to the reports, the institution administered approximately US$850 million in public funds and IPS resources. The revelations prompted requests for information in the Senate and raised questions about banking oversight and the management of public resources.
