Paraguay - February 2025

A corruption scandal has shaken Paraguay's judiciary after leaked WhatsApp chats from an investigation into a deceased MP revealed a scheme of corruption and obstruction of justice involving a judge, two prosecutors, and another MP. On 3 February, the Prosecutor's Office announced an investigation into influence peddling and other offenses, based on data extracted from the late legislator Eulalio Gomes' cell phone. It also ordered an "administrative inquiry" into the implicated officials. The messages were discovered during an investigation of Gomes for money laundering and links to drug trafficking organizations, which ended with his death in a police raid last August. The discovered messages allegedly show how the officials used Gomes to facilitate favours and influence legal cases. Civil society organizations have condemned the investigation findings denouncing them as serious violations of judicial independence and transparency, demanding immediate action and accountability.

Sources: Ultima Hora, Swiss Info, Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos del Paraguay