Paraguay: Victims of 'Promissory Note Mafia' Announce Lawsuits, Criticize Judiciary

Victims of the "Promissory Note Mafia" in Paraguay visited the Luque Peace Court on Monday, seeking progress in investigations and announcing plans for collective and individual lawsuits against implicated companies. Teresa Panne, a victim and advisor to the Victims' Coordinator, identified the judicial system as the primary obstacle. She stated that judges are unresponsive and refuse to meet with victims and their representatives, hindering case advancements.

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Our worst enemy is the Judicial Power, because the judges do not respond, they refuse to receive the victims and also the defenders. We are going to insist and accompany each process both in the Capital and in the interior of the country.

Panne criticized the concentration of case reviews within a small group of magistrates, arguing that this overload on a single court impedes progress. She noted that numerous documents require analysis, and some cases have already seen requests for embargo lifts due to suspected irregularities. Expedients are linked to various collection agencies and commercial firms, with some companies proving difficult to locate.

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We are filling out the forms to promote judicial actions. We seek economic compensation for the victims, because many were completely destroyed.

With support from a special Senate commission, the victims' group is preparing legal actions to seek financial restitution. Panne highlighted the devastating impact on victims, including displacement, family disintegration, and tragically, 27 reported cases of suicide. She asserted that these companies have "attacked the lives and tranquility of thousands of families."

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There were people who had to leave the country, families that disintegrated and, unfortunately, we have accounted for 27 cases of people who reached the point of suicide. These companies attacked the lives and tranquility of thousands of families.