The government of Paraguay on Tuesday (Apr. 1) demanded an explanation from Brazil regarding an intelligence operation carried out by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) to obtain confidential information from Paraguayan authorities involved in negotiations over the Itaipu power plant, which is owned by the two nations.
In an official statement, Paraguay announced that its ambassador to Brazil, Juan Manuel Delgadillo, had been summoned “for immediate consultations” to report on intelligence activities affecting Paraguayan government affairs.
The monitoring allegedly occurred between June 2022 and March 2023 and was first reported by the news vehicle Uol.
In an official statement issued on Monday (Mar. 31), Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that the monitoring initiative was initiated under former president Jair Bolsonaro, and was halted as soon as the new government became aware of it.
Paraguay also announced that Brazilian Ambassador to Asunción, José Antonio Marcondes, had been summoned to explain Brazil’s involvement in the incident. In diplomatic terms, summoning an ambassador for consultations signals a country’s formal displeasure with another.
“The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications has initiated a detailed investigation into events that occurred between June 2022 and March 2023, as no report from the previous government was provided,” reads the Paraguayan statement.
Paraguay also announced the suspension of negotiations on the revision of Annex C of the Itaipu Treaty, which governs the binational hydroelectric plant jointly managed by both countries.
The document addresses the value of surplus energy generated by the plant and sold by Paraguay to Brazil. The two countries have differing views on these adjustments.
Denial
Paraguay’s decision came a day after the Brazilian Foreign Ministry released an official statement denying that the current government had authorized any intelligence operations against the neighboring country.
“The government of President Lula categorically denies any involvement in the intelligence operation reported today against Paraguay, a Mercosur member country with which Brazil has longstanding relations and a close partnership. The operation in question was authorized by the previous administration in June 2022 and was nullified by the interim director of Abin on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current government became aware of it,” the statement reads.
According to the Brazilian government, Luiz Fernando Corrêa, the current director-general of Abin, was in the process of having his nomination approved by the Federal Senate at the time. He officially assumed the position on May 29, 2023. Prior to that, he was the acting head of the agency when the operation was halted, roughly two months before his formal appointment.
Original article published in Agência Brasil.
