A digital communications agency previously linked by investigative reporting to Paraguay’s so-called “Red Desinformante” has returned to the political spotlight amid questions surrounding electoral campaigning and the political network connected to Asunción mayoral candidate Camilo Pérez.

The controversy follows months of reporting about a network of social-media pages allegedly used to distribute pro-government political content while attacking journalists, media organizations and government critics.

However, available evidence requires an important distinction: reports document links between personnel associated with the agency Comunik and pages identified as belonging to the alleged disinformation network, but the precise extent of any role involving Camilo Pérez’s campaign requires additional corroboration.

What Is Paraguay’s “Red Desinformante”?

The controversy began with investigations into a collection of Facebook and Instagram pages operating in Paraguay.

According to an investigation by ABC Color, 14 pages associated with what the newspaper called “La Red Desinformante” spent approximately 2.9 billion Paraguayan guaraníes on 7,965 advertisements between October 2021 and May 2026.

The newspaper estimated the expenditure at roughly US$472,000.

The advertisements reportedly included favorable political messaging alongside attacks directed at journalists, media outlets and critics of President Santiago Peña’s government.

That investigation triggered broader questions over who financed, managed and produced the material.

Comunik Agency Appears in the Investigation

One of the companies highlighted in subsequent reporting was Comunik, associated with Juan Roberto “Jimmy” Villaverde and Fabio Morales.

ABC Color reported that staff connected with Comunik had worked on pages including Central Noticias, Chaco Hoy, Norte Digital and Sur Noticias.

According to the newspaper, those pages were among the digital properties used to distribute pro-government propaganda and what it described as “dirty campaigns.”

The investigation also reported connections between personnel working for the agency and social-media influencers involved in distributing political material.

These findings, however, remain journalistic allegations and evidence gathered through advertising records and other documentation rather than a final judicial determination.

Jimmy Villaverde’s Political Connections

Villaverde’s political background has also attracted attention.

ABC Color reported that officials from Paraguay’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, or MITIC, acknowledged that Villaverde had participated politically during Santiago Peña’s presidential campaign.

MITIC Minister Gustavo Villate described him as a political actor who had worked during Peña’s campaign, while Vice Minister Alejandra Duarte characterized him as an activist and active political militant.

Villaverde, however, has rejected allegations linking him to the network of controversial pages.

Therefore, claims about responsibility for individual pages or campaigns should not be presented as judicially established facts.

Camilo Pérez Is Campaigning for Asunción Mayor

The controversy emerges as Camilo Pérez advances his campaign for mayor of Asunción.

Pérez participated in the Colorado Party’s municipal primary process and held campaign activities ahead of the June 7 internal elections.

One of his final activities before the primary involved a walk through the area represented by Seccional No. 24, where he met residents and local party leaders.

After securing his position, Pérez began campaigning as the Lista 1 candidate ahead of Asunción’s general municipal election.

In June, he presented his campaign as one focused on management, planning, transparency and improved municipal services.

Questions Over Digital Political Campaigning

The broader controversy goes beyond one candidate.

Investigations into the Red Desinformante network have exposed the increasingly important role played by advertising agencies, social-media administrators and political influencers in Paraguayan electoral communication.

Meta advertising records examined by ABC Color reportedly identified 15 telephone lines used to manage advertising connected with the network.

One of those numbers was reportedly associated with Fabio Morales, who was described as Villaverde’s business partner.

Such digital records can reveal operational connections.

Nevertheless, they do not automatically establish who authorized particular political messages or where the money ultimately originated.

Colombian Agency Also Appeared in Investigation

The investigation has another international dimension.

Separate reporting identified Colombian digital agency Digimarketing SAS as having purchased advertisements targeting audiences in Paraguay.

More than 60 advertisements associated with the agency reportedly disappeared from Google’s Advertising Transparency Center after reporting about the network emerged.

The advertisements included content promoting government programs as well as material associated with Despierta Paraguay, one of the pages examined as part of the alleged network.

This raised additional questions about how political digital advertising was financed and coordinated.

Allegations Reached Prosecutors

The controversy has also moved beyond political debate.

In May, a criminal complaint was filed involving MITIC and other institutions over allegations that public resources intended for social programs may have been diverted to finance digital political attacks.

The complaint asked prosecutors to investigate alleged financial triangulation involving an international agency.

Importantly, filing a complaint does not establish criminal responsibility.

The allegations require investigation, and individuals or organizations named in reporting retain the presumption that wrongdoing has not been proven unless established through the appropriate legal process.

Why the Camilo Pérez Connection Matters

Any verified connection between organizations involved in controversial digital campaigns and a current electoral operation would naturally raise questions about political transparency.

However, those questions should be separated from conclusions.

Publicly available reporting confirms that Camilo Pérez is actively campaigning for Asunción mayor and that individuals connected with Comunik have previously appeared in investigations concerning Paraguay’s alleged disinformation network.

What still requires stronger independent documentation is the specific nature and scope of Comunik’s alleged participation in Pérez’s campaign.

Until such evidence is established, describing that connection as a confirmed coordinated disinformation operation would go beyond what the currently available sources demonstrate.

Paraguay’s Digital Campaigning Faces Growing Scrutiny

The larger issue is becoming increasingly significant for Paraguayan politics.

Political campaigns now depend heavily on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other digital platforms to reach voters.

Consequently, questions about who purchases advertisements, manages political pages and finances online campaigns have become part of the transparency debate.

The Red Desinformante investigation illustrates how advertising records and digital infrastructure can provide clues about political communication networks.

At the same time, those clues must be interpreted carefully.

As Paraguay approaches another important electoral contest in Asunción, scrutiny surrounding digital political campaigning and Camilo Pérez’s campaign is therefore likely to continue.

For voters, journalists and authorities, the central question is no longer simply what political message appears online. Increasingly, it is also who created it, who paid for it and whose political interests it serves.