Authorities link cases to trafficking, organized crime, and family conflicts in Paraguay.

At least 180 people have been reported missing in Paraguay so far in 2026, including 70 minors, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Police.

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The data shows an increase compared to 2025, when 1,700 disappearances were recorded over the year, most of them resolved with individuals found safe. Of the 70 minors currently missing, 43 are adolescents and 27 are children between 0 and 13 years old, according to the Police’s Directorate for the Registry and Search of Missing Persons.

Local media estimate that around 800 disappearance cases have been registered this year, with most already resolved.

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Text Reads: The National Police of #Paraguay 🇵🇾 reported this Wednesday that, so far this year, at least 180 people are missing, a number that already exceeds the initial figures from 2015, when 1,700 total disappearances were registered, although the vast majority were located safe and sound during that period.

Of the 180 missing persons reported this year, 70 are minors. The Directorate specified this distribution: 43 are teenagers and the remaining 27 are between 0 and 13 years old, underscoring the concern for the safety of young people in the country.

The Paraguayan Public Ministry identified human trafficking, organized crime, and family-related conflicts among the main factors linked to these cases. In response, authorities have introduced new mechanisms aimed at improving coordination and reducing response times.

These include the National Registry of Missing Persons (Renad) and the Alert System (MAFE), designed to establish rapid response protocols. The systems operate through the dissemination of information via social media and traditional media to mobilize both the public and security forces.

Separately, the Public Ministry reported that a specialized unit in Alto Paraná and Canindeyú has opened an investigation into a suspected human trafficking case involving a 23-year-old woman. Authorities have ordered a nationwide search and instructed that all available resources be deployed to locate her.

Text Reads: Teachers in #Paraguay are on their second day of a national strike. They are demanding decent pensions and rejecting the reform of the Public Pension Fund promoted by the government of Santiago Peña, which, according to unions, violates labor rights and benefits international interests.

In a separate case, prosecutors in San Pedro del Ycuamandiyú secured a sentence of three years and six months in prison against Hugo Crecencio Díaz for domestic violence. The conviction relates to an attack on December 28, 2024, in which Díaz physically and psychologically assaulted his partner using a bladed weapon. Investigators confirmed a pattern of repeated abuse.

The ruling was issued by a tribunal presided over by Karina Von Tumpling, with Rodney Rejalaga and Eliodoro García as members, following prosecution by fiscal agent Juan Olmedo.

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