A nation of about seven million people, Paraguay is slightly smaller than California and an important U.S. ally in South America for trade and national security issues, including terrorism, transnational crime, and related matters.
Since 2019 American taxpayers have sent close to $85 million in foreign assistance to Paraguay. It may seem like a nominal amount, at least when compared to the total U.S. federal budget. And perhaps to folks in Washington, DC, it may seem like nothing when it comes to our money, but these foreign aid programs add up in tough economic times.
Some of that money is invested in worthwhile programs in the US national interest, but some are not. Who is minding the store and doing oversight? It is supposed to be the Congress, yet as we learn on this podcast with a leading lawyer and civil society leader in Paraguay, Valeria Insfran, some of our tax dollars are being used in ways that she thinks to undermine the rule of law, Paraguayan sovereignty, and US interests too.
Valeria has been on the front lines of a fundamental rights battle involving children and families in her country. Jason and Valeria touch on a wide range of issues, including the Sao Paolo Forum, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Princeton Pact (see link below), and more recent events, including sanctioning by the Biden administration of a former Paraguay President and his family (calling into question again, the politicization of U.S. sanctions programs in Latin America – Guatemala was the other).
At the request of listeners, this particular podcast was recorded in Spanish as part of a series to reach liberty warriors in the Americas. We will record an English version of this podcast, hopefully soon. There was a lot to unpack in this program, and we have asked Valeria to return, and she has agreed.
Further Reading
- US foreign assistance to Paraguay (link)
- Paraguay country information (State Department)
- Red Ciudadana por la Niñez y la Adolescencia (foundation link)
- "El pacto de Princeton, una alianza para la miseria y el sometimiento," Valeria Insfran, El Instituto de Investigación Social Solidaridad
- GLA Podcast with Guatemala Attorney General
- GLA Podcast with the President of Guatemala
- Designation of Former Paraguayan President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara for Involvement in Significant Corruption, State Department (Jul. 22, 2022)
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