The former president was prohibited from entering the North American country.
Former Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes (2013-2018) was sanctioned by the US. for his alleged participation “in important acts of corruption,” the US ambassador in Asunción, Marc Ostfield, reported this Friday.
“Cartes used the Presidency of Paraguay to obstruct an investigation of the transnational crime involving his partner.This allowed Horacio Cartes to participate in corrupt, terrorist, and other activities considered by the United States,” the diplomat argued at a press conference.
.#EEUU designa al expresidente paraguayo Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara por su participación en actos de corrupción significativos https://t.co/MbcR7rdfVT #UnitedAgainstCorruption https://t.co/eh5LVJlXhs
— Marc Ostfield (él/he) (@USAmbPY) July 22, 2022
Ostfield added that Cartes sought to protect himself and his “criminal associate,” in order to avoid prosecution and possible political harm.
“These actions undermined the stability of Paraguay’s democratic institutions, by contributing to the public perception of corruption and impunity within the office of the president of Paraguay,” he said.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed the information through his account on Twitter, where he noted that his country is committed to “supporting democracy and promoting the accountability of corrupt officials.”
According to a brief press release from the Department of State, the Cartes designation was made pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Foreign Operations Act and Related Programs of the Department of State, which implies the prohibition of entry to the US to the former president.
The sanction also falls on the adult children of Cartes: Juan Pablo, Sofía and María Sol Cartes Montaña.
“Unfounded and unjust” accusations
After learning of the sanction, Cartes issued a statement in which he denies and rejects the accusations, which he considers “unfounded and unjust”.
A la opinión pública y a todos mis compatriotas. pic.twitter.com/fwYdXwHTxS
— Horacio Cartes (@Horacio_Cartes) July 22, 2022
“We are always and we will be committed to offering get all the support and first-source information that the authorities need to clarify the issues that question us,” adds the president in the text.
