Political crisis in Paraguay, after a secret agreement …

Antonio Rivas became the new Foreign Minister of Paraguay, following the resignation of Alberto Castiglioni, involved in the scandal of the secret agreement with Brazil over the Itaipu binational hydroelectric dam , which also triggered a demand for a political trial against President Mario Abdó Benítez, and his vice, Hugo Velázquez. The resignation of Castiglioni is added to that of four other weight makers, which came into force in the last days.

Rivas, a 30-year-old diplomat, served as vice-chancellor until his new appointment. He first announced that he would talk Friday with the Brazilian authorities in order to seek the nullity of the controversial energy agreement, which the Paraguayan opposition considers harmful to the country.

According to the new official, Paraguay asked the meeting with the Brazilian authorities to overcome the complex situation and said he found "a positive vision" between the parties. The Paraguayan delegation will also seek to instruct the technicians of the ANDE and Eletrobrás distributors to prepare a new contract. "We want to correct the situation," said Rivas.

After the sharp rejection caused by the terms of the contract, the head of the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), Alcides Jiménez, who served for just a few days, had to resign. On Monday, former ANDE director Pedro Ferreira, Brazilian ambbadador Hugo Saguier Caballero, and José Alderete, director of the Paraguayan sector of Itaipú Binacional, resigned.

After taking note of the details of the signed act, parliamentarians of the Paraguayan opposition formed a bicameral inquiry commission to determine the individual responsibilities of the officials involved in the negotiations with the Brazilian authorities. The agreement, which dates back to May, could only be known two months later.

If the document is finalized, the energy experts estimate the losses to more than 200 million dollars for Paraguay. As they claim, the agreement would be detrimental to the Crown corporation and to the country, as cheaper energy is foregone because of the surpluses of the binational dam.

The Itaipu hydroelectric plant is historically a delicate issue for Paraguayans. Inaugurated in 1984, the construction of the factory required the flooding of much of the Paraguayan coast. Its construction and subsequent exploitation have historically benefited Brazil.

Request for political judgment

The recently revealed secret agreement also raised suspicions about the possible involvement of Vice President Hugo Velázquez in the negotiations. This possibility opened public debate and opened the way for a political trial against the perpetrator.

The True Liberal Radical Party (PLRA), with the approval of all its internal blocks, decided to demand that Velázquez be continued in power, and the president himself, Mario Abdo Benítez, to have kept them for responsible for the achievement of Paraguayan interests when signing the agreement, as Efraín Alegre, head of the group, said at a press conference.

Alegre said on Wednesday that this position should be "in agreement with other fraternal parties", and that his training would not take "a determination taken in isolation," according to the newspaper ABC color. The Guasu Front, a conglomeration of left-wing sectors led by Senator Fernando Lugo, and the Christian Democratic Party, among others, have adhered to the PLRA proposal.

The Guasu Front rejected the secret agreement from the beginning. During the week, its leaders highlighted the contrast between the new treaty and the one signed in 2009 between Lugo and Lula da Silva, which provided energy to Paraguayans at a price much more adapted to the needs of the population, and his development project. .

Alegre pointed out that the proposal was gaining weight after becoming aware of suspicions that a Velázquez advisor would have influenced the negotiations of the agreement with Brazil to exclude a point that would allow the company to 39 Paraguayan electricity to sell energy to Brazilian companies through the Itaipú hydroelectric power station. At a press conference, Velázquez said that he had just left the meeting with the president and badured him that it "is very good to request an investigation."

"Let's hope that this possibility is not thwarted by the fact that Paraguay will sell electricity to private sectors, as it becomes a reality after 50 years. Several companies are interested, not one, even Argentine companies, "he said against the country's opposition, media and hydropower experts.