Asunción, Apr 1 (EFE). – Paraguay’s Foreign Minister, Ruben Ramírez Lezcano, announced Tuesday that he had summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción, José Antônio Marcondes, to demand explanations about the alleged monitoring of Paraguayan government systems by the Brazilian intelligence agency (Abin).
At a press conference, Ramirez said that the Brazilian diplomat would be asked for “detailed explanations” about the operation organized by Abin.
The Paraguayan ambassador in Brasilia, Juan Ángel Delgadillo, was also called back to Asunción “for consultations” to report on the information received from the Brazilian government.
“This is a violation of international law, the interference of one country in the internal affairs of another,” said the Paraguayan Foreign Minister.
He also announced the indefinite suspension of “all negotiations” with Brazil on Annex C of the Itaipu hydroelectric contract “until Brazil provides the relevant clarifications to the satisfaction of the Government of the Republic of Paraguay.”
Brazil admitted on Monday to an espionage operation during the govenrment of former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) after Brazilian media revealed Abin had hacked into the computers of “five or six” senior Paraguayan government officials to obtain confidential information on Itaipu’s tariffs and Annex C, which sets out the financial basis of the hydroelectric plant.
Ramírez pointed out that although the espionage operations admitted by Brazil took place during the administrations of former Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez (2018-2023), the actions of its neighbor involved “infiltration of one State over another.”
“Obviously, this is a delicate issue that involves an infiltration from one state to another, an interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Paraguay,” complained the Foreign Minister, for whom “this violates international law.”
The Foreign Minister, who appeared before journalists accompanied by his counterparts from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MITIC), Gustavo Villate, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Javier Giménez, considered that Asunción needed “all the necessary clarifications.”
Speaking to the press, Giménez defended the decision to suspend negotiations with Brazil, saying it was necessary to restore trust between both countries.
Giménez, who is part of the Paraguayan negotiating team, said he was confident that the Brazilian government would provide “the relevant explanations” in “great detail” to return to the negotiating table.
“We are sure that in the next few days, we will be able to return to the table to carry out this binational project, which is extremely important for the Paraguayan government,” the official added.
Both countries had set May 30 as the deadline for concluding the dialogue on Annex C, which is part of the Itaipu Treaty signed in 1973.
This section obliges Paraguay to sell the excess of its energy quota to Brazil at preferential prices.
Last year, the two countries agreed to raise the tariffs paid by Brazil to 19.28 dollars per kilowatt for the next three years.
They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to modify Annex C, which will allow Paraguay to freely sell its surplus energy to the Brazilian market, whether regulated or not. EFE
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