Lula Government denies involvement in hacker action against Paraguay
31 de March de 2025
By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) denied on Monday, 31st, any alleged involvement of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) government in intelligence actions against Paraguayan authorities between 2022 and 2023. The information about the espionage action was revealed by the website UOL. According to the report, the operation began to be planned during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) administration but was authorised in March 2023, under Lula’s government.
In a statement released to the press, Itamaraty attributed the authorisation of the intelligence action against the neighbouring country—also a member of the Mercosur bloc—to the Bolsonaro government (2019-2022). The Lula administration also mentioned that the operation was halted by the then-acting director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) on 27 March 2023, “as soon as the administration became aware of the matter.”
“The government of President Lula categorically denies any involvement in the intelligence action reported today against Paraguay, a Mercosur member country with which Brazil maintains historical relations and a close partnership. The mentioned operation was authorised by the previous government in June 2022 and nullified by ABIN’s acting director on 27 March 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of the matter,” reads part of the statement.
The statement mentions that the current director of the Intelligence Agency, Luiz Fernando Corrêa, took office two months after the operation was halted, on 29 May, and that in March, his name was still in the process of being approved by the Federal Senate. “The current Director-General of ABIN was, at that time, undergoing the approval process in the Federal Senate and only assumed office on 29 May 2023,” another excerpt reads.
The report published on the UOL website reveals that ABIN’s operation allegedly accessed Paraguayan authorities’ computers to obtain classified information amid negotiations over fees at the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, located on the Paraná River at the Brazil-Paraguay border. The reference to the operation is included in a Federal Police (PF) inquiry investigating the illegal use of ABIN under the Bolsonaro government to monitor authorities and opponents.
According to the information revealed, the operation took place months before the Brazilian government reached a new agreement in May last year on tariffs paid to Paraguay for energy sold to Brazil. The agent did not explain, however, whether the information obtained in the operation was used to benefit Brazil in the negotiations. The Federal Police are investigating the circumstances of the action and whether any illegality was committed.
Read Itamaraty’s Statement in Full:
“The government of President Lula categorically denies any involvement in the intelligence action reported today against Paraguay, a Mercosur member country with which Brazil maintains historical relations and a close partnership. The mentioned operation was authorised by the previous government in June 2022 and nullified by ABIN’s acting director on 27 March 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of the matter.
The current Director-General of ABIN was, at that time, undergoing the approval process in the Federal Senate and only assumed office on 29 May 2023.
The government of President Lula reiterates its commitment to respect and transparent dialogue as fundamental elements in diplomatic relations with Paraguay and all its partners in the region and the world.”