Spanish Press Highlights the “Fantasy Novel” Surrounding Hernán Rivas’s Fake Degree Scandal

A Spanish newspaper has cast Paraguay's Hernán Rivas scandal as a real-life “fantasy novel of magical realism,” bringing renewed international attention to a case that has captivated the country's public.

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fantasy novel of magical realism

El País described Rivas as a former senator who rose to lead Paraguay's Magistrates' Disciplinary Tribunal, the constitutional body responsible for judging and removing judges and prosecutors. The newspaper portrayed him as a political favorite who allegedly reached senior office without attending university classes or practicing law.

The public trial in Asunción has drawn intense interest, with citizens following televised proceedings as if they were watching a football match. The case traces Rivas's political rise to the Honor Colorado movement and the backing of former President Horacio Cartes. Current President Santiago Peña also supported his appointment and previously said it did not cause him “even a little embarrassment.”

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even a little embarrassment

Among the evidence discussed in court is the law degree certificate issued by the now-defunct Universidad Sudamericana, described as one of the so-called “garage universities.” Its ownership had historically been linked to border drug traffickers Jorge Rafaat Toumani and Jarvis Chimenes Pavão.

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fear of a lawsuit

Former law dean Óscar Rodríguez Kennedy told the tribunal that he signed Rivas's degree inside his parked car outside the campus because he feared a lawsuit, without checking whether Rivas had actually been his student. Official records also indicate that Rivas may have taken as many as six difficult subjects in a single day, which former university authorities called impossible. Former rector Euclides Acevedo and former teachers said they had never seen Rivas attending classes or taking examinations. The case concerns the alleged production and use of public documents with false content.

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impossible