Social movements in Paraguay demand energy sovereignty

Social, peasant, and labor organizations in Paraguay held a plenary session in Asunción to debate energy sovereignty and electricity access. The meeting, hosted at the SITRANDE headquarters, brought together approximately twenty groups, including the Movimiento Campesino Paraguayo (MCP) and the Confederación de la Clase Trabajadora (CCT), to discuss electricity as a human right and defend national energy assets.

Key demands from the participants include the rejection of the current energy regulatory model, opposition to the privatization of the Administración Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE), and a call for expanded social tariffs. The groups also expressed opposition to indiscriminate power outages and subsidies for energy-intensive companies.

Following the discussions, organizers announced a plan of action that includes a large-scale mobilization. They aim to gather 30,000 people for a protest at the ANDE headquarters to demand lower Itaipú tariffs, the integration of Itaipú social expenses into the national budget, and the implementation of an expanded social tariff law.