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Paraguay: Protest called at Prosecutor's Office to prevent corruption cases from being dropped
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Paraguay: Protest called at Prosecutor's Office to prevent corruption cases from being dropped

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • A coalition of insured and retired individuals from Paraguay's Social Security Institute (IPS) is calling for a protest outside the Prosecutor's Office.
  • They demand that corruption cases, particularly those involving "ghost operating rooms," are thoroughly investigated and not left unresolved.
  • The group seeks exemplary punishment for those involved in corruption and the return of stolen funds, advocating for expanded investigations into administrative council members.

A coalition representing insured and retired members of Paraguay's Social Security Institute (IPS) is organizing a protest outside the Prosecutor's Office in Asunción. Under the slogan "Corruption is killing us," they aim to pressure authorities to ensure that ongoing corruption cases are not left unresolved, a situation they describe as "opa rei" (meaning it ends up as nothing).

The corruption is killing us

— Coalition National of Insured and Retired of the IPSThe slogan used by the group to call for the mobilization.

The demonstrators are specifically demanding justice for cases involving "ghost operating rooms" within the IPS. They are calling for exemplary punishment for those found guilty of corruption and insist that stolen funds must be returned. Furthermore, the coalition wants the investigation to expand to include members of the administrative councils of the relevant administrations, arguing they should also be held accountable.

We demand that the open cases for alleged corruption do not end up as nothing.

— Coalition National of Insured and Retired of the IPSExpressing their demand for thorough investigations into corruption cases.

The Prosecutor's Office has already indicted former IPS presidents Vicente Bataglia and Jorge Brítez, along with other officials, on charges of breach of trust. These charges stem from the failure of a project to construct a modular operating room at the IPS Central Hospital. The project, approved and amended under both former presidents' tenures, faced insurmountable structural issues that prevented its completion. Six years after the construction company Neighpart S.A. was awarded the contract, the operating rooms remain unbuilt, with an estimated patrimonial damage exceeding 60 billion Paraguayan guaraníes.

We demand exemplary punishment for the thieves of the IPS and that they return what was stolen.

— Coalition National of Insured and Retired of the IPSStating their call for justice and recovery of stolen assets.

Despite the ongoing investigation and indictments, Prosecutor Julio Ortiz recently confirmed to ABC Color that he does not plan to indict the council members. This stance is a key point of contention for the protesting coalition, who believe these officials should also face scrutiny.

The members of the Administrative Council of the corresponding administrations must be included in the investigation.

— Coalition National of Insured and Retired of the IPSDemanding accountability for administrative council members.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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