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Ex-Paraguay prez finds himself on wrong side of US power

September 4, 2024

As a former leader, he is no longer useful to Washington, which can now act virtuous and punitive with sanctions

In early August, the U.S. Treasury quietly sanctioned the tobacco company of Paraguay’s former president, Horacio Cartes.

Before entering office, Cartes had extensive links to organized crime and took authoritarian actions while in power. However, Cartes faced no public pressure from the American government until long after leaving office in 2018. America’s leadership looked the other way for so long because Cartes fulfilled its mutual interests.
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