Camilo Benítez eyes Supreme Court role as professional ambition after likely reelection

Camilo Benítez Aldana went to Congress to present his annual management report and ended up acknowledging that a seat on Paraguay’s Supreme Court is a professional ambition.

The comptroller general initially avoided answering directly when asked about his future plans. He said that if he were not reelected, he had attractive offers in the private sector and might return to practicing law. But after further questioning, he admitted that becoming a Supreme Court justice was an aspiration.

“I do not know if I would accept, but at 30 I completed my doctorate,” Benítez said. “I am an academic, that is my profile. Obviously, as a jurist, I aspire to advance professionally. It would be a kind of professional aspiration, but I do not know. We will have to see.”

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I do not know if I would accept, but at 30 I completed my doctorate. I am an academic, that is my profile. Obviously, as a jurist, I aspire to advance professionally. It would be a kind of professional aspiration, but I do not know. We will have to see.

Benítez is considered almost certain to be reelected as comptroller for the 2026-2031 term, which begins in November. He has also been included in a three-person shortlist for the Supreme Court alongside liberal candidates Mabel Bogado Oviedo and Carlos Vera Ruiz. ABC Color described the other candidacies as largely symbolic and said Benítez has the backing of the Cartista faction.

For now, however, no Supreme Court vacancy is imminent. Justice César Garay Z. will turn 75 on Jan. 4, 2030, while Justice César Diesel Junghanns will reach that age on June 11, 2031. Benítez said his prospects would also depend on retaining political support and maintaining his reputation.

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Many things are said, but no one has the wisdom to predict the future.