In this photo taken on July 1, 2018, Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes delivers the final annual legislative report before ceding his government to Asuncion. AFP photo.
The US government included the former president of Paraguay and businessman Horacio Manuel Cartes on his list of corrupt and banned him from entering the country.
In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that the former president “(Cartes) Jara obstructed a major investigation into transnational crime to protect himself and his criminal collaborator from possible prosecution and political damage. ”
“These actions undermined the stability of Paraguay’s democratic institutions, contributing to the public perception of corruption and impunity within the office of the president of Paraguay,” he said.
With the designation of Cartes in the list of corrupt persons and organizations, the government of Joe Biden tries to show that the fight against corruption in Latin America is one of its priorities. Other personalities from various countries in the region were also included in that list, from drug traffickers to public officials.
Washington believes corruption is a major cause of migration as it damages the economy and aggravates poverty and inequality.
Cartes, president of Paraguay between August 2013 and August 2018, owns a conglomerate of approximately 25 companiess, including one of three media conglomerates in Paraguay. The former president was questioned about alleged irregularities in his multimillion dollar assets and was being investigated in Brazil for his alleged ties to the leader of a money laundering network.
According to the US government, Cartes’ actions “allowed and perpetuated” his most recent involvement in terrorist organizations and other entities that have already been designated corrupt by Washington.
In addition to Cartes, his sons Juan Pablo Cartes Montaña, Sofía Cartes Montaña and María Sol Cartes Montaña were included in the list of corrupt.
Source: Clarin
