The British newspaper Financial Times published an article called “US move deepens worries over organized crime in Paraguay”.
The article says that Paraguay has long been a haven for smuggling everything from cigarettes to luxury goods. But US sanctions against two of its top politicians, coupled with a surge in murders and drug-related violence, have raised concerns that organized criminal gangs have penetrated the highest levels of power in one of the Washington’s main regional allies.
“As the South American nation prepares for presidential elections in April, Washington last month blacklisted Vice President Hugo Velázquez and former President Horacio Cartes for alleged corruption. Velázquez was expected to run as the ruling party’s candidate in the polls, and Cartes retains significant influence over national politics and business. The sanctions mean that the men, who have denied the allegations, will not be able to enter the United States.
Observers consulted by the aforementioned media mention that the measure reflects the growing concern in Washington that Paraguay could be destabilized if its institutions and elites fall under the influence of organized crime.
“By publicly naming the couple, who are members of the ruling conservative Colorado Party, Washington is sending a message to the government that it needs to clean up public life before the 2023 elections. Paraguay is a major supplier of cocaine to Latin America and Europe. There are criminal gangs entering politics at the regional, municipal and judicial levels,” said Eduardo Nakayama, the former mayor of Asunción for the opposition who is now a candidate for the Senate.
SMUGGLING
The article reports that a landlocked soybean and beef exporting nation strategically located in central South America, Paraguay has long been a starting point for both legitimate trade and smuggling. But this year has seen a spike in targeted killings and gang violence that has alarmed US law enforcement.
Marcelo Pecci, lead prosecutor in a high-profile cocaine trafficking and money laundering investigation earlier this year, was shot dead by hitmen in May while on his honeymoon in Colombia. A week later, José Carlos Acevedo, former mayor of the city of Pedro Juan Caballero, was assassinated in front of a municipal building, months after the murder of his niece, Belén Acevedo. Local media attributed both murders to drug gangs,” reads part of the document.
