The vice president of Paraguay, Pedro Alliana, announced that his Government decided as of this Monday to withdraw “100% of the energy power” that corresponds to it from the binational Yacyretá hydroelectric plant,” which implies a cut in the portion that was usually transferred to Argentina.
The measure by the Santiago Peña government responds to a strategic decision in the face of the escalation of tensions with Argentina over the collection of tolls on the Paraná-Paraguay waterway.
With this tension increases between the two countries which was strengthened in recent weeks by clashes with the minister and candidate Sergio Massa over the collection of tolls on the waterway.
But the president of the neighboring country, Santiago Peña, clarified in an interview with CNN en Español that the decision to stop selling energy to Argentina “It has nothing to do with toll collection, but with debt that is overdue” and which according to the president reach “about US$ 150 million.”
“Starting at 10 (11 Argentina time) Paraguay will withdraw 100% of the energy capacity of Yacyretá“said Alliana, temporarily serving as the Presidency of the neighboring country.
The vice president maintained that the decision is “a defense of sovereignty and respect as a country, because Argentina owes us a debt“.
For his part, the head of the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), Félix Sosa, informed Paraguayan media that The energy that is being withdrawn will be used for local consumption, in a context of increased demand due to high temperatures.
“We do not analyze the financial issue, we must remember that this is a strategic and political decision of the national government to withdraw 100% of the energy that corresponds to it,” Sosa said in a press conference, in which he assured that Paraguay has “the technical conditions” to do so.
“You know perfectly well that the Argentine side is not paying us what corresponds to Yacyretá for the transfer of energy. The debt is 93 million dollars and that they do not recognize. As well as the difference in the energy that was delivered for 18 million dollars a month and suddenly they paid only 10 million dollars and which they do not recognize either,” Alliana stressed.
Usually, Paraguay retains 15% of the energy from the binational Yacyretá power plant, leaving the remaining 85% for Argentina.