Paraguay

ASUNCION, Jan 2 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Paraguayan health authorities have issued an alert amid an increase in the number of Covid-19 and influenza cases that are pushing the national sanitary network to its limits, it was reported in Asunción.

According to the Health Surveillance report, there has been a sustained increase in Covid-19 cases, with 975 new infections last week, 70 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths, which represents a significant growth from 435 cases only three weeks ago.

ASUNCION, Sept 27 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Paraguayan President Santiago Peña insisted that if the trade deal between Mercosur and the European Union is not operational by Dec 6 there would be no agreement at all after he takes over the South American Common Market (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) bloc’s pro-tempore presidency.

“I have said and I have transmitted this to President [Luiz Inácio] Lula [da Silva] to close the negotiation because if he does not close, I am not going to continue in the next semester,” Peña told the Financial Times at his residence in Asunción.

ASUNCION, July 6 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Paraguayan law enforcement officers on Wednesday destroyed as many as 11 tons of marijuana seized from alleged drug traffickers in the northeastern department of Amambay, bordering Brazil, the ABC Color newspaper reported.    

The Strategic Intelligence Directorate officers, attached to the National Anti-Drug Secretariat, managed to detect the drug during an investigation at a production and storage center at the La Paraguaya Natural Reserve.

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — The long-governing Colorado Party remained the dominant force of Paraguayan politics as the vote count from Sunday’s election gave an overwhelming lead to its presidential candidate, Santiago Peña, with nearly all votes counted.

With almost 99% of voting places reporting, Peña had 43% of the vote, compared to 27% for the closest challenger, Efraín Alegre, the candidate of the Pact for a New Paraguay, a broad-based opposition coalition that had hoped to end Colorado’s reign.

ASUNCION, April 30 (Reuters) - Paraguayans began voting on Sunday in what could be the biggest electoral challenge to the ruling conservative Colorado Party in over a decade and with the country's long ties with Taiwan potentially at stake.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (1100 GMT) in what is expected to be a close contest between Colorado Party presidential candidate Santiago Pena, a 44-year-old economist, and 60-year-old political veteran Efrain Alegre, who is leading a broad center-left coalition and who promises a foreign policy shake-up.

ASUNCION, April 17 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Paraguayan health authorities confirmed at least 90 deaths this year had been caused by chikungunya fever, while Uruguay detected its first imported case of the malady. One more case was also confirmed in the last days of 2022, according to the latest report from Paraguay’s Health Ministry.

The document also showed 21 new deaths in the last two epidemiological weeks, with no data collected during the Easter Week holidays.

ASUNCION, March 12 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Paraguayan health authorities confirmed 43 people had died nationwide of chikungunya, while the total number of cases rose to 11,467 over the past three weeks.

Eight of the victims were children under one year of age, while 35 others were adults aged over 30, according to the latest epidemiological report released by the General Directorate of Health Surveillance. “The mortality rate is 0.6 per 100,000 inhabitants and the case fatality rate is 0.1 %,” the document read.

ASUNCION, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Paraguay's Attorney General's office said on Tuesday it opened a criminal investigation into Vice President Hugo Velazquez, almost two weeks after the U.S. government accused him of having committed "significant" corruption.

The Public Ministry said on Facebook that Attorney General Sandra Quinonez ordered the opening of a criminal case to investigate "the facts in relation to the statement of the U.S. ambassador, Marc Ostfield" concerning Velazquez.

ASUNCION, Aug 20 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — After announcing last week that he would resign, Paraguayan Vice President Hugo Velazquez conveyed to reporters his decision to remain in office until proof against him is submitted.

Velázquez was included last week in the United States list of “significantly corrupt” individuals alongside former President Horacio Cartés. However, Velázquez did resign his candidacy for president ahead of the upcoming Colorado Party primaries.

ASUNCION, Aug 13 (NNN-TELESUR) — The vice-president of Paraguay, Hugo Velázquez, resigned Friday after the US listed him for alleged corruption, which unleashed a scandal in the South American country.

In addition, he also abandoned the presidential pre-candidacy of the ruling Colorado Party, to which he was heading with a view to the Paraguayan general elections to be held next year.