Students sue Paraguayan institute over alleged fraud, fake degrees

Students pursuing a Master of Laws at the Instituto Superior en Ciencias Jurídicas, Escuela de Derecho y otras Unidades Pedagógicas (Edupca) in Asunción have filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. They claim the program, directed by Iván Schmeda Cuandú, lacks the necessary accreditation from the National Council of Higher Education (Cones), a crucial step for any legitimate academic offering in Paraguay.

This situation unfolds against the backdrop of a broader scandal within the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC), where authorities have identified at least 525 cases of fake degrees. MEC Minister Luis Ramírez recently dismissed 13 directors and department heads involved in document registration. Notably, Iván Schmeda, previously the legal director at MEC, was removed from his post. Schmeda is also a co-owner of Edupca, which is part of the Grupo Latino conglomerate led by Emilio Guevara.

The students' complaint details that their postgraduate program, conducted in person in the capital, does not appear on Cones' official registry of accredited courses. They allege that Edupca is attempting to retroactively and irregularly assign their academic documentation to the Coronel Oviedo campus, which they state is unrelated to the actual location where they received instruction. This maneuver, they contend, is an attempt to legitimize an unaccredited program.

Adding to the controversy, Schmeda's political ties have surfaced. He was a substitute candidate for councilor in the Colorado Party primaries, with the titular candidate being Romina Medina, wife of MEC's chief of staff, Aníbal Zapattini. The students are demanding their money back if the institute does not rectify the situation, warning of further legal action for fraud if their demands are not met.