Copia Fiel 2.0: Council candidate's pre-trial detention confirmed

Roberto Cubilla Sanabria, a candidate for councilor in Luque representing the ANR-cartista movement, will continue to be held in pre-trial detention as part of the “Copia fiel 2.0” case. This decision was upheld by a specialized Appellate Court for Economic Crimes and Organized Crime. The prosecution alleges that Cubilla Sanabria masterminded the scheme to hide assets belonging to Eulalio “Lalo” Gomes and his son, Alexandre Rodrigues Gomes, who are themselves under investigation in the “Pavo Real Py II” case.

The First Chamber of the Appellate Court, composed of judges Gustavo Amarilla Arnica, Silvia Criscioni, and Silvana Luraghi, issued an interlocutory ruling affirming Cubilla Sanabria's pre-trial detention. This followed a previous decision on June 4 by Judge Rosarito Montanía, who had also ratified the measure. Cubilla Sanabria's defense attorney, Damián Arévalo, had appealed Montanía's ruling, seeking to replace the current detention at the National Center for Pre-sentenced Individuals (formerly Tacumbú) with house arrest. As part of this request, the defense offered a property valued at US$1,479,523 in Presidente Hayes as bail.

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with eventual house arrest and free communication, there would be a possibility of a latent risk of influencing evidence.

The prosecution, however, urged the court to reject the defense's petition. The Appellate Court ultimately sided with the prosecution, denying the request for house arrest. The court reasoned that allowing Cubilla Sanabria to potentially have free communication while under house arrest could pose a "latent risk of influencing evidence." The judges noted that "today, these actions are carried out through computer systems and web records," making it highly probable that evidence could be destroyed or altered using modern computing and communication devices. This concern was central to the court's decision to keep Cubilla Sanabria in custody.

The indictment, presented by prosecutors José Martín Morínigo, Alejandro Cardozo, Francisco Cabrera, and Diana Gómez, details that after the raids conducted as part of Operation Pavo Real II on August 19, 2024, in Pedro Juan Caballero, where Eulalio “Lalo” Gomes, then a Colorado deputy, died, a scheme was activated to conceal assets acquired by the legislator and his son with drug trafficking proceeds. The Public Ministry's report indicates that Judge Osmar Legal had blocked the assets of Lalo Gomes and his son on the same day the raids occurred.

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today, these actions are carried out through computer systems and web records.