Yaguarón declares "institutional war" against RUN over 2,000-hectare land dispute

Yaguarón's mayor, Luis Rodríguez, has declared an "institutional war" against the National Unified Registry (RUN) in response to an alleged attempt to strip the municipality of 2,000 hectares of land in favor of the district of Paraguarí. Rodríguez denounced the RUN's decision as illegal and arbitrary, stating it lacks municipal authorization, a presented bill to Congress, or any technical and cadastral report.

The disputed territory, located in the Hugua Po’i company area, is slated for incorporation into Paraguarí. Mayor Rodríguez asserted that this move constitutes a "declaration of institutional war" and vowed to defend the territory using all available means. A specialized territorial consulting firm hired by Yaguarón confirmed that over 80% of the contested zone has historically belonged to Yaguarón.

Rodríguez, representing the PLRA party, urged residents to join a planned demonstration in Asunción. He highlighted that key institutions like the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the Catholic Church formally recognize Yaguarón's jurisdiction over local schools, health posts, and chapels. Furthermore, the strong identification of residents with Yaguarón reinforces the municipality's claim.

The conflict surfaced when landowners discovered their properties were being registered under Paraguarí by the Cadastre. Yaguarón's attempts to engage in bilateral dialogue with Paraguarí authorities in 2022 to define boundaries were reportedly met with no response. The RUN proceeded unilaterally, disregarding Yaguarón's municipality and proper channels, even after an amparo resource filed by Yaguarón was rejected, fueling suspicions of ulterior motives behind the land dispute.