How Paraguay’s presidential wealth report triggered audit calls

In his latest sworn declaration submitted to the Contraloría General de la República (CGR) at the end of September 2025, President Santiago Peña of Paraguay reported a dramatic increase in his personal wealth, including a holiday home valued at G. 7.75 billion (approximately US $1.09 million) and a surge in declared bank instruments.

Despite his annual presidential salary being declared at G. 37.9 million, the latest figures show monthly expenditures averaging G. 73.7 million, nearly double his official income, according to his own declaration.

Among the more pointed entries is the G. 52 million monthly spend on education, along with G. 2.5 million claimed for clothing, a figure contradicted by internal communications showing single-month expenditures exceeding G. 51 million.

Critics, including Senator Yolanda Paredes, argue that the paperwork does not reconcile with the high-value property and investment disclosures linked to the president’s family and business ties. “The numbers simply don’t add up,” she commented.

With a backdrop of the ongoing “los sobres del poder” corruption scandal, the declaration has triggered calls for an independent audit of Peña’s assets and expenditures. For international observers, the case underlines the persistent challenge of transparency in Latin America’s executive branches.