Paraguay political financing laws fail to curb drug money, expert warns

Political scientist Guzmán Ibarra has warned that current political financing laws in Paraguay are ineffective at preventing the influx of drug trafficking money into electoral processes. He described the existing regulations as a mere formality that fails to limit the entry of illicit funds into political activities.

Ibarra noted that organized crime, which previously focused on municipal levels through councilors, has now penetrated the national Congress. He highlighted that the massive amounts of money spent during campaigns are untraceable and that declared figures often do not reflect actual expenditures, with some candidates reporting zero costs.

The implementation of preferential voting has further complicated oversight, as it allows individual candidates to run micro-campaigns funded by unknown sources. Ibarra characterized the current legal framework and institutions as having almost irrelevant application in the face of these challenges.