Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said on Tuesday (8) that in the negotiations of the Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brazil listened to “truths” and that he almost knocking on the door ”after a meeting he described as“ hard ”.
The Paraguayan head of state was in Brasilia in January 2024, when he met with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in which the rate paid for Brazil was discussed for the surplus energy of Paraguay of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam.
According to him, “it was a very hard meeting, in which Brazil listened to many truths, which probably never a president had said.”
“We left this meeting really almost knocking on the door. During the week we had no answer. Many could have panicked, but probably if we had not done that, we would never have increased the energy for the benefit of Paraguay in May. So we need to be firm,” he said in an interview with the neighboring country’s monumental radio.
The statements take place in the midst of the diplomatic crisis between Brazil and Paraguay.
required detailed information from Brazil and suspended negotiations in Annex C of the Itaipu Treaty after revelation of the UOL portal of an alleged espionage of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency to obtain confidential data from Paraguay during the tariff negotiations of the Binational hydroelectric dam.
In a statement, Itamaraty stated that the intelligence operation was authorized in 2022, but made it without effect in 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of the action.
Paraguay, however, states not to address the case as an initiative of one government or another, but as an action of one country consisting of an interior in its internal affairs.
Asked if your country benefits from the suspension of the negotiation of Annex C of the Itaipu Agreement, which defines the bases of the plant’s energy tariff ,.
He said there were “hundreds of cases” throughout Paraguayan history “who have been frightened by Brazilians, Argentines and people of other nationalities” but that it is necessary to act with boldness and courage for Paraguay to develop.
