Millions under suspicion as prosecutors are asked to investigate Alto Paraguay government

A partial report from Paraguay's Comptroller General has placed about 9 billion guaraníes in spending by the Alto Paraguay government under suspicion. The money covers 2023 and 2024, the periods examined after departmental councilors reported the alleged misuse of public resources.

The audit focused on the administration of Governor Arturo Méndez, a Colorado Party lawmaker aligned with the Cartes movement. More than 5 billion guaraníes linked to fuel and lubricants could not be justified, in part because the administration did not use magnetic cards that would have provided tighter control over purchases.

The report also questioned payments to nonprofit organizations and NGOs. The Comptroller's Office said documents did not show how the beneficiaries properly used the funds. It further detected breaches in contracts for public works, including street paving in Bahía Negra and renovations to the departmental government headquarters and the executive residence in Fuerte Olimpo. Those contracts totaled more than 4 billion guaraníes.

Councilor Jorge Medina, one of the officials who filed the complaint, asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate what he described as serious irregularities. He also said he had not received his fuel allowance for six months, preventing him from attending a departmental council session in Fuerte Olimpo. Medina is from Puerto Casado, about 250 kilometers from the departmental capital.

The fuel allowance forms part of councilors' compensation, which totals about 14 million guaraníes per month and includes roughly 2.7 million guaraníes for fuel and per diem expenses. Sergio Cuellar, who recently left the council presidency, said no councilor had received the fuel allocation because the tender process encountered repeated problems with bidders. On one occasion, Paraguay's public procurement authority canceled the tender.