private sectors and local communities. Minister of the National Tourism Secretariat Angie Duarte welcomed Paraguay’s growing popularity saying that it was partly the result of hard work: “We work with passion to show the world that Paraguay is a hidden gem, with its vibrant culture, authentic nature, and genuine hospitality.”
In January Senatur reported 3,657,194 international visitors in the most recent year, the highest total since at least 2015. In 2025, Paraguay achieved its strongest air-travel performance to date, with more than 1.28 million passengers moving through Silvio Pettirossi International Airport. Tis rise in air travel is attributed to renewed confidence from international airlines, improved connections with key global markets, and Paraguay’s growing role as a regional hub for business and tourism. Growth in air traffic is expected to continue as infrastructure develops.
CORRUPTION But while President Peña highlights the country’s economic gains and Senatur seeks to showcase the country’s potential on the global stage Paraguay is of course not without its problems. One of the most pressing and long running of those is corruption.
Paraguay’s persistent fight against corruption was a dominant topic in the April 30 2023 presidential elections. President Peña leads the conservative Colorado party. Every Paraguayan President since 1948 bar one, has belonged to the same party but that party has been rocked by one scandal after another. In January 2023 the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara, the former President of Paraguay, and Hugo Adalberto Velazquez Moreno, the then current Vice President, “for their involvement in the rampant corruption that undermines democratic institutions in Paraguay.”
All the same the government has shown commitment in the fight against organized crime and corruption through cross agency operations. Paraguay’s National Anti Corruption Strategy (2023–2028), adopted in November 2023 under President Peña, requires all branches of government and independent state bodies to establish a roadmap for anti corruption and public integrity that respects independence and democratic checks and balances. It covers four thematic areas- transparency, accountability and integrity, revenue oversight, and citizen security—each divided into subtopics and initiatives.
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Detractors however say that this isn’t nearly enough and corruption stories continue to make headlines. In August 2025 Paraguay’s Attorney General’s Office said it had sought reports from the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money or Asset Laundering (Seprelad) as part of an inquiry into former President Mario Abdo Benítez regarding alleged offshore accounts. Claims allege that Abdo Benítez and his wife hid more than $20 million in undeclared bank accounts in the Seychelles - claims Abdo Benítez has denied.
Events took a decidedly bloody turn when in August 2024 Deputy Eulalio Gomes a member of the Colorado Party was shot dead in his home by police officers, following a search warrant minutes after an indictment was issued against him and his son for money laundering linked to drug trafficking. According to local press, authorities had been collecting evidence against Gomes since as far back as 2017. In February 2025, new evidence emerged from WhatsApp messages recovered from his phone allegedly revealing a network of bribery and influence-peddling involving senior figures in the legislature, judiciary, and prosecution services.
CORRUPTION SCANDALS AND THE INDUSTRY Endemic corruption and institutional weakness remain major obstacles for Paraguay and we have repeatedly seen the effects of this played out in the gambling industry.
Allegations of corruption have been hanging over the National Gaming Commission (Conajzar) for years. Last year Judge, Rodrigo Estigarribia, did not approve the request to drop a high profile case against former Conajzar members. Instead he sent the records to the Attorney General.
In January 2022 Judge Humberto Otazú stated that all of the members of Conajzar faced charges of fraud in addition to Head of the Directorate of Charity and Social Assistance (DIBEN) as well as a number of other high ranking government officials.
Te officials were accused of breach of trust and the usurpation of public functions. Previously, prosecutor María Estefanía González stated that many irregularities had been discovered regarding both the licensing process for slot machines, reduced fees and the licensing of quiniela games. In the complaint, the prosecutor drew attention to the 50 per cent reduction in the fee for gambling companies, which had led to losses for DIBEN. In addition, she highlighted the fact that slot machines had been legalised in places where they were not allowed.
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