As a Paraguayan living abroad who is passionate about our beautiful homeland and has closely followed the evolution of our public finances, I view the debate that has emerged in recent days with concern.

To conclude the series on energy published every Sunday in the pages of La Tribuna, we present an interview with César Addario Soljancic. Throughout his articles, the Paraguayan economist has provided a technical and strategic analysis of Paraguay’s energy future, its limitations, and its opportunities.

In the coming years, our country has the opportunity to transition from being a net energy exporter to becoming the true hub of energy integration in the Southern Cone. This is not just a rhetorical dream: it is a concrete strategy, backed by infrastructure projects that have already been put out to tender, works currently underway, and projects in an advanced stage of development.

We Paraguayans have built our energy sovereignty on water. Itaipú and Yacyretá have made us one of the countries with the cleanest energy mix in the world: nearly 100% renewable, with more than 99% coming from hydroelectric sources.

For decades, the National Electricity Administration (Ande) has been the undisputed pillar of Paraguay’s electricity sector: a vertically integrated monopoly that generated, transmitted, and distributed electricity, all under one roof. That model, established by Law 966/64, made it possible to electrify the country at a rapid pace thanks to the enormous hydroelectric potential of Itaipú and Yacyretá.