Flooding has affected nine departments, forced families to relocate and prompted rescue operations as forecasters warn of more rain.

---

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall and the overflowing Paraná River has affected at least 3,000 families across nine departments in Paraguay, prompting emergency assistance and the relocation of thousands of families as authorities warn of further rainfall, according to the National Emergency Secretariat (SEN).

RELATED: Thailand Floods Kill at Least 31, Millions Affected

The southern departments of Ñeembucú, Misiones and Itapúa have been among the hardest hit, with floodwaters inundating homes and forcing emergency crews to distribute food, plastic sheeting and construction materials to affected residents.

The flooding has also affected Central, Guairá, Caaguazú, Concepción, San Pedro and Canindeyú, extending the emergency across nine of the country’s 17 departments.

In Misiones, the municipality of Ayolas has been particularly hard hit because of its proximity to the Yacyretá Dam, which is jointly managed by Paraguay and Argentina. Around 1,040 families in the area have received assistance, according to the SEN.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | About 1,200 families were evacuated last week in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's second most populous city, due to severe flooding caused by the El Niño phenomenon, which raised the Parana River's water levels. pic.twitter.com/fu7fTJHzah

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 19, 2026

Rescue operations have also extended to animals. The nonprofit organization SOS Animal Ayolas has rescued about 247 pets trapped in flooded areas in recent days.

In Alto Paraná, along the border with Brazil, at least 1,300 families have been relocated. Water levels in the Paraná River have fallen slightly in the area, reaching 117.57 meters above sea level after approaching 121.19 meters on Thursday.

Firefighters from Bombers Pel Món, an organization based in the Spanish municipality of Valencia, have joined local emergency crews in assisting communities affected by the flooding near Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.

Despite the recent decline in water levels in Alto Paraná, Paraguay’s Directorate of Meteorology and Hydrology has warned of a high probability of further rainfall from Wednesday through Sunday, with the greatest impact expected in the country’s Eastern Region.

Flooding along the Paraná River has affected thousands of families in Paraguay, prompting evacuations, rescue operations and emergency aid. Photo:
Flooding in Paraguay as the Paraná River overflows, affecting thousands of families and prompting emergency evacuations.

Lluvias y desbordamiento del río Paraná afectan hogares en Paraguay. Cientos de familias y mascotas son rescatadas mientras el país se mantiene en alerta por nuevos pronósticos.

Christopher Landau met with Paraguayan President Peña to discuss regional security and investment opportunities.

On Monday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau began a three-day visit to Paraguay, where he announced that U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are interested “on refocusing attention on the Western Hemisphere.”

RELATED:

Trump Approval Falls to New Low of 33% Two Weeks Before Midterms

Landau specified that their attention is focused specifically on “the Great America,” a territory that Washington considers extending from Canada to Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America.

During the day, the senior U.S. official met with President Santiago Peña and Vice President Pedro Alliana as part of a visit he described as “very important” for U.S. diplomacy, which seeks to explore investment opportunities and regional security.

“We talked about security issues. Paraguay is located in the heart of South America, and I think there are many opportunities to strengthen those ties,” he said after meeting with Peña and Alliana.

🇵🇾🇺🇸 El presidente Santiago Peña recibió al subsecretario de Estado adjunto de Estados Unidos, Christopher Landau, quien inició una visita oficial de tres días a Paraguay.

🔗🗞 https://t.co/bVQpC0lwLs pic.twitter.com/EaZXZZ4wB6

— IP Paraguay (@IPParaguay) October 19, 2026

The text reads, “President Santiago Peña received the U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of State, Christopher Landau, who began a three-day official visit to Paraguay.”

He also indicated that his visit recognizes “the great importance” of the relationship between the two nations and that there are “many win-win situations given Paraguay’s great potential” for investors.

On Monday, Landau arrived accompanied by a delegation of U.S. business executives and Juan Pablo Segura, deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

On social media, President Peña posted a welcome message in Guarani and Spanish in response to a post by Landau, who lived in Paraguay from 1972 to 1977, when his father, George Landau, served as ambassador to the South American country during the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-1989).

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

The delegation finished the competition with 75 medals, including 24 gold.

On Saturday, Italy achieved its second consecutive title at the World Skate Games in Paraguay, beating Colombia in a close race for first place in the overall medal count.

RELATED:

Franco Baresi dies at 66, AC Milan and Italy Football Legend

The Italian delegation finished the competition with 75 medals, including 24 gold, while Colombia finished second with 49 medals and 23 gold. Spain took third place with 47 medals, 17 of which were gold.

The Italian wins were based primarily in the artistic and technical disciplines, where they achieved a significant advantage over their rivals. In artistic skating, Italy won twelve medals compared to Colombia’s three.

Meanwhile, Colombia showed its dominance in speed skating, amassing 35 medals in this discipline, including 17 gold. Therefore, they solidified a hegemony that has allowed them to win 23 world titles.

🌎 World Skate Games ASU🇵🇾2026 🛼

🛹 ¡A puro #Skateboarding en el Parque Olímpico Paraguayo! ✨

🚨EN VIVO – COPTV: https://t.co/vLo2focNRu #ParaguayPuede pic.twitter.com/vij7N1zgCp

— Comité Olímpico Pyo (@coparaguay) October 15, 2026

The text reads, “World Skate Games Asuncion 2026. Pure Skateboarding in the Paraguayan Olympic Park!”

Among the tournament’s outstanding performances was that of 15-year-old Spaniard Egoitz Bijueska, who was crowned champion in the park skateboarding event, ahead of renowned international figures.

Sebastian “Chevi” Guzman, a Venezuelan-born, naturalized Spanish sprinter, won five medals and broke his own world record in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 9.467 seconds.

According to the organizers, the Games brought together 5,600 competitors from 91 countries between October 2nd and 18th. The participants competed in 11 sports and 40 disciplines, making the event one of the biggest international skating events.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's World Food Forum is being held in Rome, Italy, offering nations an opportunity to showcase their capabilities and limitations in ensuring food security. pic.twitter.com/APin31lft6

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 14, 2026

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

More than 100 families were evacuated from low-lying neighborhoods in Paraguay as the Parana River swelled rapidly, forcing military and emergency teams into action across the Alto Paraná and Misiones departments.

---

Intense rainfall across the Southern Cone and the fast-rising Parana River pushed Paraguayan authorities to launch emergency evacuation and relocation operations for affected families.

The effort has focused on riverside communities that stand directly in the path of a waterway now running far above its normal level.

RELATED: Ecuador Flooding Damages Thousands of Homes Across Three Provinces

Relief organizations and Armed Forces personnel intensified preventive work as rivers and streams rose at a dizzying pace. The sharp increase in water flow has placed vulnerable families settled in riverside zones at immediate risk, leaving little time between the first warning and the moment floodwater reaches their homes.

In Alto Paraná, the most critical impact is in the San Rafael neighborhood of Ciudad del Este, where dozens of homes were flooded. Officials of the Logistics Command said rising waters forced the immediate relocation of more than 100 families living in the lowest-lying areas.

Preventive eviction protocols were also activated for about 60 additional families, given technical projections of further rises in the river level. The distinction between the two groups reflects the staged nature of the operation. Families already surrounded by water were moved first, while those in areas projected to flood next were placed under preventive orders.

INTENSAS LLUVIAS PROVOCAN CRECIDA DE RÍO Y OBLIGAN A EVACUAR FAMILIAS EN PARAGUAY

Las intensas lluvias que provocaron la crecida del río Paraná mantienen en alerta a las autoridades de Paraguay, donde se realizan evacuaciones y se ha desplegado personal militar para atender a… pic.twitter.com/9b3LnXxIWd

— Soyapango Noticias (@soyanoticias) October 12, 2026

Text reads: “Heavy rains cause the river to flood and force families to evacuate in Paraguay. The heavy rains that caused the flood of the Parana River keep the authorities in Paraguay on alert, where evacuations are being carried out and military personnel have been deployed to assist affected families in the south of Ciudad del Este. At least 100 homes have been affected by the floods, especially in vulnerable areas…”

The effects spread to other parts of the country. In the city of Ayolas, in Misiones department, the Emergency Operations Center, naval units and fire brigades coordinated the relocation of residents to sports centers converted into temporary shelters.

In San Juan Bautista, the overflow of peripheral streams led to emergency housing for affected families at military grounds belonging to the Second Cavalry Division.

Across the border, authorities reported port closures, restrictions in riverside tourist areas such as Puerto Iguazú, and the evacuation of island residents. The Argentine side of the basin is grappling with the same wave of water that has already flooded Paraguayan communities.

According to the reports, the emergency stems from water saturation caused by severe rainfall in the upper basin, located in Brazilian territory. That accumulation forced the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant to keep its 18 spillway gates open throughout the week after reaching its maximum operational safety levels. The flow increased to between 18,000 and 19,000 cubic meters per second.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)

Regional Alert Raised

The rise in flow, which grew by as much as 7,000 cubic meters per second within days, set off operational alarms in both Paraguay and Argentina. Argentine authorities also reported port closures, restrictions in riverside tourist areas such as Puerto Iguazú and the evacuation of island residents.

Operational forces and local authorities are maintaining permanent technical monitoring of the Parana basin, as weather forecasts point to continued rainfall.

Floods of this kind often hit the poorest communities hardest, since low-income families tend to settle on riverbanks and low-lying ground. Whether the water level will begin to fall in the coming days will depend largely on rainfall in the upper basin in Brazil, which forecasters expect to continue. i}n this sense, officials stressed the importance of not returning to flood-prone areas and of respecting the river’s natural beds to avoid a cyclical repetition of socio-environmental emergencies.

This is the driest year on record in Tegucigalpa. Eighty percent of Honduran territory is on red alert, and the capital has had a potable water rationing system every 12 days for a month. The lack of rain is making maize and bean crops in Guatemala — the main food source in a country with the region’s highest rate of chronic child malnutrition — even more vulnerable. The Panama Canal has begun restricting vessel traffic because of water stress in the basin, and the parched Amazon rivers are isolating dozens of riverside communities in Brazil and hampering fishermen’s work.

Seguir leyendo

© Ivan Valencia (AP)

The EU welcomes Cambodia’s decision to join the Multi-party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) for WTO members, contributing to efforts to uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system. 

With Cambodia’s participation, the MPIA now covers 62 World Trade Organization (WTO) members and 60.4% of world trade.  

The MPIA brings together participants from all continents and at different levels of development, united by a shared commitment to upholding the rules-based trading system. 

The MPIA preserves the right to appeal in trade disputes among participating WTO members, at a time when the WTO’s Appellate Body remains non-functioning. It helps ensure that disputes can continue to be resolved in an orderly and binding manner, avoiding appeals 'into the void'. 

“I welcome Cambodia to the MPIA. The arrangement plays an important role in upholding the rules-based trading system. Each new participant helps reinforce the predictability, stability and credibility of global trade rules. I encourage other WTO members to join the MPIA,” said EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. 

Background 

The MPIA was established in 2020 and has proven its effectiveness in many WTO disputes.  

Under the MPIA, appeals are heard by arbitrators randomly selected from a pool of 10 standing appeal arbitrators set up by the participating WTO members. These arbitrators are persons of recognised authority, with demonstrated expertise in law, international trade and WTO agreements.  

The MPIA is open to all WTO members as a practical tool for appeal arbitration, pending the restoration of a reformed and fully functioning WTO dispute settlement system. 

As of 1 June 2025, the MPIA has an updated pool of appeal arbitrators to ensure that appeals continue to be heard by independent arbitrators of the highest calibre. 

At the WTO Ministerial Conference that took place earlier this year, MPIA ministers stressed the importance of the MPIA for the security and predictability of the multilateral trading system.  

The current MPIA participants are Australia, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the European Union (and its Member States), Guatemala, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Macao (China), Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vietnam.

More information

MC14: Supporting the rules-based multilateral trading system: the role of the MPIA